


Hiccups

by The_Intuitive_Special



Series: Growing Up Haddock [8]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-19 21:41:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 29
Words: 256,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5981821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Intuitive_Special/pseuds/The_Intuitive_Special
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Growing Up Haddock Story 8: Life has many ups and downs. What we would like to call hiccups. Hiccups are annoying, complicated. You can't always make them go away. Sometimes it takes time and patience. They can even be painful. But as the Haddocks find out, hiccups are a natural occurrence in life. It's how you deal with them that is the key.</p><p>Only HTTYD and Riders/Defenders of Berk are canon</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moving Day

_This is Berk._

_Families are the cornerstone of our little village. Without love for each other, the island and, indeed, the world would be a bleak place to live. Everyone who lives here is included and loved unconditionally, blood relatives or not._

_But love is about a lot more than warm and fuzzy feelings. It's easy to love someone through the good times and when they're easy to get along with. The challenge to us all is loving someone even when the going gets tough._

_Of course, the hardest part of it is knowing who is worth the effort and who you have to let go. It can be tough to make the distinction. But while making the wrong choice can give you devastating consequences, making the right one will give you life's greatest blessings._

* * *

Fearless Finn Haddock didn't usually tiptoe. He was known for stomping and speaking at an elevated volume without realizing he was doing it. But now he knew he had to be as quiet as possible lest the operation fail. His target was close, the mop of curly brown hair visible from the Haddock boy's vantage point. Finn ducked his head and sneaked into the crowd, his eyes set on his target. A bit closer and the mission would be complete. It was all he could do to stop himself from snickering at his own brilliance. Finally, he was close enough to commit the misdeed he had planned that morning. He readied his projectile and pitched it directly at that curly brown hair.

_SPLASH!_

"GAAAH FINN!"

Cliff Smedley leaped from his seat, his hair sopping wet and dripping onto his clothes. Finn had only a second to laugh triumphantly before the other boy pursued him. He attempted to push over a table to stop Cliff from catching up but the boy had been expecting such drastic actions and managed to leap over it with ease.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT, FEARLESS FINN!" Cliff bellowed.

"Oh I bet!" Finn called back, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

People jumped out of their way, some laughing at the teenagers and others clicking their teeth in disapproval. Finn threw open the large double doors of the Great Hall and nearly fell down the stairs in his haste. Cliff pursued him with ease, finally catching up to him. Finn had no time to react before he was tackled to the ground by the other boy. Quick as a flash, what had once been Cliff's undeniable triumph had turned into an intense wrestling match.

"Boys!" came a voice over their heads.

Cliff and Finn looked up into the blue eyes of the second most powerful person on Berk. Astrid Hofferson Haddock towered over them, looking slightly amused at the violence.

"He started it!" Cliff informed him. "Threw a water skin right at my head!"

"Finn..." Astrid narrowed her eyes. "Did I not say to pitch those things at each other _outside_?"

"Well yeah but he'd be expecting it then." Finn informed her.

"As much sense as that makes, your dad doesn't like your shenanigans messing up the Great Hall. Safety issues, not giving the cleaning crew extra work, blah blah blah." Astrid rolled her eyes. "Anyway, you're just lucky he isn't here telling you this himself."

"Yeah because he doesn't get up at the crack of dawn like all the cool kids do." Finn climbed off Cliff and helped him up. At the sight of Astrid's frown, he grinned. "Chillax, mom. I won't make you wash these grass stains off."

"Too right you wouldn't." Astrid playfully punched him on the shoulder. "Because I'd tell you to stuff if if you did."

"And you'd be very effective at making me stuff it too." Finn put an arm around his mother as they walked back to the Great Hall together, Cliff tagging along behind. "Have I told you that you look beautiful today?"

"My my, Finn, buttering me up this early in the morning?" Astrid shook her head. "You must _really_ want something. And gee, I wonder what that could be..." she stroked her chin in mock thought. "Could you perhaps be hoping to leave your devastated parents and twin sister to live with goofballs like this one?" she pointed to Cliff, who stuck his tongue out at Finn.

"I'm almost seventeen!" Finn half whined. "I've got to set out on my own!"

"More like you've got to break your mother's heart." Astrid ruffled his hair playfully. "Whatever will I do without my sweet wittle baby boy?"

"Blech." Finn made a face. "All this just makes me want to get out sooner."

"Well your father and I want to keep you around until you're _actually_ an adult." Astrid kissed his cheek and moved toward the breakfast line.

"And yet you somehow already consider _him_ an adult?" Finn pointed to Cliff, who shrugged.

"Hey now, I didn't choose to be born first." Cliff patted his head. "It just happened. Now you're the sweet wittle baby of our group."

"You will never let me live that down, will you?"

"Not on your life." Cliff chirped. "Now I'm going to finish my breakfast in peace. Feel free to join me, little buddy!"

"You'll be eating your breakfast in _pieces_ if you don't knock that off!" Finn yelled after him.

"I'll risk it!" Cliff shouted over the crowd.

Finn openly laughed as he joined the line of Vikings waiting for their food. He relished the friendly smiles he received. Most people would take these sorts of things for granted but it had taken the Haddock boy over a year to stop the glares and sideways looks he had been receiving before. Now, about a year and a half since his enlightening trek across the archipelago, he felt optimistic. Life was getting better with each passing day. Even members of his old gang had become some of his closest friends. Better still, no one batted an eye when they sat together. His dragon, after some incredibly difficult training exercises, tended to remember his commands (though sometimes she pretended she forgot). He never thought in all his life that he would genuinely think this but he would be in a sad state indeed if he didn't have his friends and family.

When Finn had filled his plate with bacon and eggs, he made a beeline over to his usual table. Cliff rolled his eyes as soon as he sat down.

"One of these days, you will make yourself sick with all that food." he said with a half smile.

"One of these days, indeed." Finn said before taking a big bite of eggs. "But not today."

"Scoot over, Haddock." came a bossy sort of voice over his head.

Finn looked up into the ice blue eyes of Inga Jorgenson. He smirked. "You scoot over. Plenty of room here."

"You're in my spot." she insisted. "So budge up."

"No." Finn stuck his tongue out at her. "You'll have to pick a different seat."

"Well you've brought it on yourself then." Inga pushed Finn's tray aside with her own and sat down on his lap.

"Hey!" Finn yelped. "Get your bony butt off my thigh!"

"Scoot over!"

"Never!"

"Then you'll have to deal with it, Haddock. It's called compromise." the girl snarked. "Not that you'd know what that means."

"I know it means you scratch my back, I scratch _yours_." Finn tickled her sides, causing her to shriek with laughter.

"Okay, okay, your highness!" Inga squealed, trying to get out of his grasp.

"No, I'm not done yet!" Finn grabbed her waist in an attempt to keep her on his lap but she was too quick for him.

"Don't make me kick you where the sun don't shine." she wheezed.

"Yeah? Well don't make tickle you again."

"I didn't make you do anything!"

"You sat on me!"

"You had it coming!"

"Easy there, lovebirds!" Cliff butted in. "As entertaining as your domestic squabbles may be, I don't want you tearing into each other before you help me move!"

"Yeah yeah." Finn grumbled. "At least you _can_ move."

"Too true." Cliff smiled in a satisfied manner. "Now Erick and I'll be _real_ bruhs!"

"You weren't bruhs before?" Inga asked as she sat down next to him.

"Oh we were." Cliff clarified. "But now we'll be bruhs sharing our own bachelor pad. No girls allowed!"

"Well then, I guess I don't have to help you move." Inga snipped with a smirk.

"Nah." Cliff waved a hand. "You don't count."

"I don't count as a girl?" Inga asked in a warning tone that went completely unnoticed by the Smedley boy.

"I mean you're a girl but you're not like... a _girl_." Cliff drew the word out to emphasize it. "You're not going to make the place all pink and girly."

"My sister might." Finn reminded him. "Have you seen her room? Butterflies everywhere. It's nauseating."

"Okay, no girls except Anna-bear." Cliff stated, earning himself a punch on the arm from Inga. "Okay, Inga's a girl but she's allowed and I guess if we're splitting hairs, Taryn's welcome too."

"So why'd you say no girls allowed?" Inga asked.

"You're supposed to say that!"

"Since when?" Inga raised an eyebrow.

"Since... since... you know what, I read it somewhere, okay?" Cliff glared at Finn, who was snickering at the two of them.

"Soooo when's your dad going to get back?" Inga asked Finn, pointing a piece of bacon at him.

"Tonight." Finn replied. "And his letter yesterday made it sound like he was in a hostage situation. Then again, Allie the Insincere is insufferable at the best of times."

Everyone nodded emphatically at that statement. The last time Allie had visited, she had callously bragged that _her_ island had a better method for dealing with rogue dragons once she had heard about the most recent raid and even chastised Hiccup for "letting those people die to prove a point." Taryn, whose brother had been killed in said raid, locked herself in her bedroom and cried her eyes out for the rest of the day. The thought of dealing with her nonsense for four days sounded like a nightmare to them all but it was that or risk her getting slapped in the face by Taryn's mother. The last thing Berk needed was a war.

"Well I didn't meant to change the topic to possibly the most vile woman in the archipelago." Inga stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Not that we don't have some contenders here." she added as she spotted Dana Sanders sauntering into the Great Hall with Cale.

"I don't know, I think she did Morgan a favor." Cliff shrugged. "If Dana hadn't been messing around with Cale, Morgan would still be with that loser."

"True enough but that doesn't stop the two of them from being disgusting." Inga made a face.

"You know, we should invite her to sit with us." Cliff suggested with a faraway look. "Now that she's single and lonely."

"Ugh, you and _Morgan_?" Finn wrinkled his nose.

"Hey, go big or go home!" Cliff quipped. "It's been two weeks. Time for her to find somebody new. Someone who will treat her right."

"Oh yeah, definitely. But anyone willing to date a jerk like Cale for more than five minutes doesn't sound like a good choice for anyone with, you know, two brain cells." Inga rolled her eyes. "Besides, she's flirting with Edgar now."

"Edgar?" Cliff gaped. "But he's, like, _way_ older than her!"

"Five years." Finn reminded him. "And you're not even the only guy pining for her. Evan's been making googly eyes at her for the last month."

"It's all right. I thrive on competition." Cliff rubbed his hands together. "One day, Morgan Sigmund, you will be mine!"

Inga mimed vomiting, causing Finn to snort with laughter. Cliff gave the two withering gazes, which only made them laugh harder.

"Just you wait, Finnga." Cliff pointed his fork between the two of them. "This time, I will be successful! This time, it's true love."

Finn had to grit his teeth to stop himself from reminding Cliff of his disastrous attempt to woo Helga several weeks before. Before Helga, Kaelan had been Cliff's "true love." Both Finn and Inga thought that either Cliff had a lot of soul mates out there or he had no idea how to tell the difference between a silly crush and true love.

"Well I'm just about done here so unless you want to wait for the next hour and a half for Morgan to show up, why don't we start packing up your things so you can settle into your amazing bachelor pad?" Finn suggested to his friend.

"These things take time. I can't just jump in and say hey to the love of my life. I have to be smooth." Cliff made a face that was apparently supposed to be seductive but instead rendered Finn speechless and desperately trying not to crack up.

"Yeah. Sure. Okay, Cliff, let's just go." Inga patted his back in a somewhat comforting manner before the trio got up and put away their trays.

As Cliff chattered about his elaborate plan to woo Morgan, Finn and Inga exchanged exasperated looks. They knew better than to stop him but they also mentally prepared themselves for whatever was going to happen. At least moving Cliff's things into his new house would keep his mind off of pretty, single girls. For now.

* * *

Boxes. _So_ many boxes.

He used to think only girls had too much stuff. But soon after he began packing, he realized that he had a _lot_ of stuff. Carrying three boxes in his arms up a slight incline with only one and a half legs as support probably wasn't one of his wiser ideas, but it would be a while before his friends came to help. He'd be fine in the meantime.

Shoving his body against the door, he managed to jimmy the handle until the door opened a crack. He smacked the door open with his good leg and stepped inside, the steady step- _thunk_ of his mismatched legs echoing throughout the empty interior.

Erick Larson set the boxes down on the floor with a resounding "whew!" and looked around. He'd have to decide with Cliff where to put their furniture. The house was small, with a kitchen, living room, and two even smaller bedrooms enough for two strapping young bachelors ready to take on the world.

The 18-year-old boy ran a hand through his shaggy, wavy blond hair. He moved toward the door to grab a few more boxes from when his prosthetic teetered precariously.

"Ugh, really?" Erick muttered, hopping up onto the counter. The straps easily became loose along the base, especially when he exerted himself too much. Not that he thought carrying three boxes was too much exertion, but apparently his prosthetic did.

Over a year of having one and a half legs and he was still getting used to it. He'd had many conversations with the chief and Gobber on the ups and downs of being an amputee. Growth spurts, harsh weather conditions, dragon riding, growth spurts, daily exercise, walks around the village, _more_ growth spurts. In truth he hadn't grown to be very tall. He was still considered average height, unlike Finn or Cliff, who'd both shot up taller than their fathers by now. But every single quarter inch that he grew turned into sleepless nights and writhing pain for days on end that left him weak and disoriented.

The first few months of course had been worse. A combination of getting used to the pain and the winter season hitting full force, it was a miracle he'd survived. There were many nights when Erick seriously thought he was going to die. Unfortunately he got sick a lot easier than Hiccup ever had; the Hooligan chief was blessed with a quick healing process unlike anyone else. A year and a half since Erick's accident and even the slightest taps would send a crippling shock of pain through his system.

Erick blew his bangs out of his eyes, tightening a few screws as he thought. A slight tap on the door broke the silence and he looked up. His breath caught his throat, his teal eyes transfixed when she stepped inside.

"Hey," Adrianna Miracle Haddock smiled, turning in a circle to look at the empty room. "Looks so big when it's empty."

"Yeah…" Erick murmured, unable to stop staring. Her thick blonde hair was done up in a bun with a braid twisting behind her ear. A few skinny braids wove through the top, pinned into the messy bun. Adrianna's bangs rested just off her eyebrows, accenting her sparkling green eyes-

"Helloooooo, earth to Erick?"

Erick snapped out of his daze, looking back down at his prosthetic. His heart pounded in his ears as a blush rose to his face. "S-sorry."

"Are you okay?" Adrianna stepped forward, resting the back of her fingers on his forehead.

Erick leaned his head back, giving her a shy smile. "I'm fine."

He was, in fact, most definitely _not_ fine. He couldn't even deny it anymore. No matter what he did or thought or tried to convince himself, Adrianna was breathtakingly beautiful. He wanted nothing more than to tell her, to finally be honest with both her and himself and say that he cared for her.

Unfortunately, the only thing standing between him and his beautiful best friend was her boyfriend, Brandyn Anderson.

Every time he saw them together—holding hands in the village or eating in the Great Hall or going on a flight—he wanted to puke. A pang of jealousy would overtake him so suddenly that he could hardly stand it. He never acted on such jealousy, of course. She was clearly happy. He'd never do anything to jeopardize that.

So here he was, watching from the sidelines. He'd be forever content as long as they were friends, able to hang out with their inner circle together. But it was during these small stolen moments that made him wish they could be more than what they were. He couldn't help but think back to a few Snoggletogs ago when he'd shunned her and ruined their relationship. How different would things be now if he hadn't acted on impulse and anger?

"-stare at the floor all day?"

Erick looked up at her in surprise. "What?"

Adrianna quirked an eyebrow. "I _said_ are you going to talk to me or stare at the floor all day?"

The boy mentally face palmed. Here he was moaning in his head about not getting to spend time with her like he wanted and she was standing right in front of him waiting. Literally.

"Sorry, just distracted." Erick hopped off the counter, testing his leg out. "A lot on my mind, I guess."

"Not for much longer," Adrianna smiled, shoving his few boxes off to the side. "Give us a few hours and we'll have all of your junk moved over."

" _Junk_?" Erick pouted. "That junk is valuable, I'll have you know."

Adrianna snorted. "Really?" She reached into a box, ignoring his indignant cry of disapproval. "Oh yes," Adrianna held up a tattered old apron from the leather shop. "Because this old thing must be worth millions."

"It was my first apron!" Erick laughed sarcastically. "It has sentimental value, okay?"

"Ahhh yes," Adrianna wrinkled her nose. "All stained, holey aprons do."

"Give me that!" Erick lunged for the apron before she threw it in his face. "Okay, so _maybe_ I threw whatever was in my dresser into the box without paying much attention."

"No kidding. There's nothing like bringing the least important things into your new house." Adrianna's eyes sparkled.

Erick opened his mouth to retort, but her laughing eyes made the thought die in his throat, rendering him speechless once again. He never could decide what he loved more: her hair or her eyes. Adrianna's eyes held the same amount of intellect and sarcastic, playful humor as that of her father.

He blinked and looked away, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Yeah… something like that."

"Yeah…" Adrianna studied him curiously, the sparkle in her eyes gone. Erick hoped he wasn't too obvious.

Just then, the door lurched open and in strode a certain brunet that made Erick step away from Adrianna with fluid steps. Brandyn marched toward the corner and dumped three boxes on top.

"Load one," Brandyn said with a false sense of cheer. "Anything else you want me to grab?"

"Emphasizing load one must mean there's more to grab." Adrianna commented.

Brandyn gave her an exasperated look. "You know we had other plans today."

Adrianna shrugged. "I'm well aware that we had plans today, but I also had plans to help Erick and Cliff move. We'll go as soon as we're finished."

"But that could take all day!"

"Mr. Anderson, are you whining?" The blonde tittered.

Brandyn rolled his eyes. "Sorry if being roped into moving day wasn't exactly on my list of things to do."

Erick crossed his arms. "If you're going to make a stink about it then you can just go."

The Anderson boy gave him a smile. "What was that?"

Adrianna sighed. "Guys, come on-"

"No, I want to hear what Larson has to say."

Erick scowled. "This could be fun."

"Yeah, nothing more fun than moving boxes."

"It _could_ be fun if everyone present put a little effort into being nice. If you don't want to help, I'm not asking you to stay, Brandyn." Erick said patiently. "But if you stick around, at least try to have a good attitude so the rest of us don't have to suffer."

A muscle stood out in Brandyn's jaw. Erick raised his chin defiantly, refusing to stand down. This was their relationship. They didn't argue much, but they had very different views and standards on things. Erick couldn't understand how Adrianna could stay with him (and not _just_ because he cared about her himself).

Worst of all, Erick seemed to be the only one that wouldn't back down to Brandyn. Most other teens would let things go or avoid him completely. Even Finn would give up after a while. But Erick had just enough stubbornness in his blood that he refused to let Brandyn win any argument over him, no matter how petty or trivial. He would not be bullied into submission.

Adrianna stepped between them, glancing between them carefully. "O-kay, if you guys can't get along-"

"We'll get along once Erick stops being all high and mighty." Brandyn hissed.

Erick breathed a laugh. "Me, high and mighty? Who's the one griping about all of his precious time being wasted? Who's the one complaining about his plans being ruined for the day?"

Brandyn scowled. "Who's the one asking for help last minute from people who already have plans?"

"I didn't ask you." Erick shot back, then internally winced. Adrianna had invited him. Shaking his head to avoid her gaze, he opened a box. "Just whatever."

"So now it's Anna's fault?"

"Just do whatever you want, Brandyn. Don't let me hold you up."

"No, I think you owe her an apology!"

Adrianna huffed. "Oh my _gods_ , would you both stop it!"

The door squeaked open to reveal Finn holding a couple boxes. He glanced between the boys and sighed. "Going at it again?"

Brandyn snorted. "Don't look at me."

Erick dropped his stuff back in the box and marched to the door. "Finn, I need help with something."

"Oooookay." Finn dumped the boxes and rushed after his blond friend.

"Yeah that's right," Brandyn called out the door. "Run away from conflict like you always do!"

Erick screeched to a halt in the street and whirled around, but Finn pushed him forward with a hand on his chest. "Nope, nope! Not even worth it."

The blond allowed himself to be steered back toward the street and toward his family's house. He muttered under his breath about stupid, self-righteous boyfriends as they walked. Finally, Finn sighed.

"You don't help matters by being snarky, you know."

"I can't help it!" Erick threw out his hands. "What do you expect me to do? Take his whining, complaining or insults lying down? I'm sick of hearing it all the time!"

"You're a patient guy, Erick. Maybe Brandyn needs a little more dash of patience."

"So says Fearless Finn."

"Touché," Finn teased. "But seriously. One day there might be something worth fighting over with him, but this kind of petty stuff is just that. Petty, stupid. Trust me from experience: save the fight for later. Surely if you both disagree on that many things then something will come up that's worth fighting over."

Erick shook his head. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. Especially if he plans on staying long term."

"He's been here long term, CK."

"No, I mean…" Erick paused momentarily. " _Long_ long term."

"As opposed to the short long term?"

"Don't get fresh with me."

Finn snickered, pushing the Larson's front door open. "Trust me, right now, he's not even worth it. Besides, he can't really be all that bad if my sister has stayed with him this long. She has pretty good judgment."

Erick didn't reply as he tromped up the stairs to his bedroom. He had a few choice comments on _that_ particular subject, but withheld them. It wasn't that he didn't trust Adrianna to make good decisions on who she dated. He hoped he didn't feel any ill will simply because of his jealousy. He really did hope that Brandyn had worthy qualities that Adrianna loved. Thor knew that everyone had personal issues that he or she needed to work through. While his might be the occasional bout of depression or deception, Brandyn's might be complaining and contempt. Who knew?

Point being: Adrianna had stayed with the guy for this long. He had to have some redeemable qualities.

He hoped.


	2. The Mark

It was exhilarating to be back in the air again. The ocean raced past the Night Fury's open wings as its rider stared through his mask into the setting sun. Hopefully he would be back on Berk soon.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III had been subjected to some of the worst torture anyone on the archipelago could endure. He had spent four days meeting with Allie the Insincere. Of course, her real surname wasn't "the Insincere" but her nickname was known all over the archipelago simply because almost nothing that came out of her mouth sounded sincere or even all that friendly, despite her sugary sweet tone. Her actual surname was Freedman, which Hiccup found ironic considering her openness to allowing Outcast Island to participate in the slave trade. He blamed the new Runian chief, Scarlett Deathblow. Rune was always lax with its slave laws and Scarlett clearly was taking this a step farther than her father.

But now wasn't the time to revisit such thoughts. Hiccup was free at last. He had missed his family terribly. Of course, four days wasn't _that_ long to be away from his wife and children but usually Astrid provided him with a welcome distraction during such loathsome meetings. And Finn, though much better than he was a year and a half ago, had a tendency to amuse everyone by making faces at Allie behind her back. Hiccup appreciated his son's attitude when it wasn't directed at him. And as for his daughter... well, he had a lot on his mind already without bringing her into it.

After what felt like forever, the shoreline of Berk finally appeared on the horizon. Hiccup took a deep breath, a smile on his lips. He was home at last for the foreseeable future. No more stupid meetings with the chiefs for a long time. It was going to be a perfect summer with his family.

At long last, he touched down on Berk's soil. He slipped off Toothless, who clearly was pleased to be home if his cooing in excitement was any indication. Hiccup greeted several people, shaking hands and allowing his fellow Vikings to clap him on the back, when he spotted a familiar mop of bright red hair in the crowd. His face brightened at the sight of his son.

It didn't matter how long Hiccup had been gone, Finn always seemed even bigger when he returned. Six feet, three inches with bright blue eyes that were more like Astrid's every day, bulging muscles he could only have inherited from his grandfather, and a crooked smile from his father, Finn certainly stood out in a crowd. Of course, Hiccup only got to look at him for a second before the teenager reached him and threw his arms around him.

"Hey!" Hiccup greeted him, hugging him back with just as much affection. "Missed you, buddy."

"Missed you too." Finn replied.

Hiccup never took a single hug from his son for granted. It wasn't too long ago that the big, affectionate teenager had been vandalizing the town and lashing out at his parents. Now Finn, though not perfect, had turned into a trustworthy and respectable young man who clearly adored his parents. That wasn't to say Hiccup and Finn hadn't argued at all in the last year and a half but the underlying love the two had for each other made such arguments a lot more tolerable.

"So," Finn said when they finally broke apart, "how was Allie?"

"Nightmarish." Hiccup shook his head. "She acted like a nice hostess but I was afraid she was going to sneak into the guest house in the middle of the night to strangle me."

"Pretty much same ol', same ol'." Finn rolled his eyes. "But you discussed everything that needed to be discussed, right?"

"After a lot of beating around the bush, yes." Hiccup sighed. "If she'd cooperated, I'd have been in and out in 2 days, probably less. But she wanted to change the terms of the peace treaty about twenty times before she'd sign it. And even then, I highly doubt she'll stick to it."

"Wait, so are you saying-"

"We'll talk about this later, kiddo." Hiccup reached up to ruffle his son's hair. "Best not to jump to conclusions."

Finn made a face but dropped the subject. Hiccup was about to head home when he spotted someone elbowing her way through the crowd. His heart skipped a beat when the radiant face of his wife finally appeared. Astrid smiled widely and threw her arms around him, kissing him so fiercely he stumbled backward. Even after two decades of marriage, Hiccup melted a little bit when his exceptionally adept wife kissed him as passionately as she did now. At long last, their lips separated with a tiny _pop_.

"Hi." Astrid breathed through a small laugh.

"Hey." Hiccup brushed her bangs from in front of her eyes. "Missed you."

"Not as much as I missed you." Astrid pecked his lips again. "Let's go home."

"Hey now, I was only gone four days. Did you really miss me _that_ much?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

"Woah, someone's jumping to conclusions." Astrid chortled. "I just wanted to talk. Were you expecting something more?"

"Maybe." Hiccup winked at her. "We'll have to find out, won't we?"

"Feisty. I like it." Astrid whispered. "Though we should save it for when there isn't a crowd."

"Agreed." Hiccup said, smirking at the look of disgust on his son's face. "What, you should be glad your parents still kiss!"

"You're _old_." Finn stuck out his tongue. "When I do it, it's hot."

"I don't know, when you do it, I still see my itty bitty baby with his tongue down some girl's throat." Astrid snarked.

"That's your problem though, isn't it?" Finn shrugged.

"Well go then. Go kiss some girls, your mom and I have some catching up to do." Hiccup told him without taking his eyes off of Astrid.

Hiccup internally marveled at how easily he had spoken that last statement to his son. Two years ago, he'd have been afraid of finding Finn in a closet with his shirt off and his tongue plundering the inside of Helga's mouth. Now such a statement could be rattled off as a quip with no fear of repercussion. Finn had standards and Helga had another boyfriend. He glanced over at his son in time to see him do a mock salute and scamper away, probably to pick on Cliff some more.

Astrid put her arm around his waist and led him through the group of people welcoming him home. He said a few friendly greetings but his attention was on his wife. He slipped his arm around her shoulders as they walked.

"So Erick and Cliff are finally room mates." Astrid said when the crowd dispersed.

"Yeah? How's that?" Hiccup asked, genuinely curious.

"Well Adri and Finn helped them move and now they're probably still putting things away." Astrid glanced over in the direction of the little house. "I'm liking how tight knit those four are getting. Cliff's a good influence on Finn."

"Yeah, when he's not pranking him." Hiccup shrugged. "Any new shenanigans?"

"I caught then wrestling outside the Great Hall this morning." Astrid told him. "Same as usual."

"Ah. Teenagers." Hiccup smirked. "Such a strange part of nature."

"We all had to suffer through it." Astrid reminded him. "You dealt with your hormonal angst by rebelling against our entire way of living so you can't say you weren't a handful at that age."

"Oh I didn't." Hiccup laughed. "And I got lucky too. Dated the hottest girl in the archipelago because of that rebellion."

"Yeah, you were lucky." Astrid poked him in the stomach, making him emit an unmanly giggle.

"I'd like to think luck had little to do with it." Hiccup squeezed her shoulder. "I was a handsome lad in the day."

"You're handsome now." Astrid patted his cheek. "In a mature way, you know."

"Nothing says handsome like gaining weight and going gray." Hiccup ran his fingers through his hair.

"You're 38. It was bound to happen. Besides, you filled out." Astrid shrugged. "That's all part of growing older. You didn't think you'd stay a toothpick forever, did you?"

"I guess not." Hiccup conceded. "It just seems like my name no longer applies to me anymore."

"You wanted it to?" Astrid smiled fondly at him. "Why so hard on yourself all of a sudden?"

"I don't know. Kids are growing up. Pretty soon, we could have an empty nest." Hiccup sighed. "I like having kids in the house. Makes me feel young."

"The twins stopped being children a while ago." Astrid reminded him. "They're growing up."

"Yeah." Hiccup agreed.

"Hiccup!" came a voice from their left.

They turned just in time to see Erick walking over to them, a slight limp in his gait. Hiccup let go of Astrid's shoulder and embraced Erick like a son. When they broke apart, he smiled. Erick looked as he always did nowadays: confident with a bit of a mischievous gleam in his teal eyes. The sight reminded Hiccup of himself at that age. The last year and a half had changed the youngest Larson for the better once he could finally walk on his prosthetic without help.

"Glad you're back." Erick gave him a dimpled smile. "We'll have to catch up later though. Finn split and we're still trying to figure out the furniture arrangement in the house."

"Where's Addie?" Hiccup asked him.

"Around. She left with Brandyn a little before Finn did. They're probably off making out somewhere." Erick made a face. "Anyway, I don't want to keep you from settling in at home."

"No problem." Hiccup clapped Erick on the back. "Plenty of daylight left. I could actually achieve something useful. Better than my week with little Miss Insincere."

"Hiccup." Astrid elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't badmouth other chiefs in front of impressionable kids."

"I'm 18." Erick reminded her. "Hardly a kid."

"You'll always be a kid to me." Astrid patted his head. "A cute little kid who used to make a face every time I made Icelandic Cod for dinner."

"Hey, I still ate it if you offered it." Erick protested.

"You did. It was polite but completely obvious how much you hated it." Astrid said, looking slightly nostalgic. "Reminds me of this one when I made eel." she nudged her husband.

"It's rubbery." Hiccup made a face. "No wonder the dragons hate it."

"You two are such picky eaters." Astrid rolled her eyes. "I swear, you make dinner time so- well _hello_ , little cutie!" the Haddock matriarch gushed.

Ava Thorston giggled at being acknowledged. Astrid reached down to pick her up. The nearly two-year-old immediately grabbed her braid.

"Aww hi, sweetie." Hiccup grinned widely at the toddler. "Did you slip away from your daddy again?"

Ava tugged on the braid, prompting Astrid to attempt to unclench her fist. Sure enough, as soon as Ava had decided that Astrid's necklace was more interesting, Tuffnut came jogging over.

"There's my little ray of sunshine!" he cooed at his daughter.

"You really need to keep a better eye on your child." Hiccup said seriously. "All kinds of things can happen in the split second you're not paying attention."

"I know." Tuffnut said as he took the toddler from Astrid. "I'm really working on that. I mean it, Chief Hiccup. I've never worked so hard to keep anything alive! Gotta get eyes like a hawk." he peered intensely into Ava's gray eyes, making her burst out laughing. "Ooh, you like hawks, do you?" he suddenly let out a comical screech and carefully flew his little girl around the Haddocks. She squealed with delight. "Gotcha in my claws, little missy! Whatcha gonna do now? Huh? Huh?" he affectionately kissed her cheek.

"Oh gods, is that what I looked like in the early days?" Hiccup asked his wife, who snorted.

"Even more sappy than that." she replied. "And you're pretty quiet, Mr. Larson." she turned to Erick, who was watching Tuffnut and Ava play almost wistfully.

"Huh?" Erick looked over at Astrid. "Oh, just thinking about how scary it is that I'm old enough to have my own kids now."

"Not scary." Hiccup smiled. "Unless you don't actually want them."

"Oh no, I do." Erick clarified."Definitely. You know, some day."

"Yeah, best not to rush into these things." Hiccup patted Erick's shoulder. "But it'll happen for you."

"If you say so." Erick sighed.

Hiccup wanted to chat with Erick some more but he was suddenly ambushed by a group of little Larsons. Erick's niece and nephews crowded around the Haddock couple.

"You're back!" shouted Gustav's middle son. "Now you can go dragon racing!"

"What?" Hiccup laughed. "Come on, kiddos. You don't want to see an old man like me playing silly games."

"Please, Mr. Ciccup?" Lalla, the only girl in the group, pleaded.

"Aww, come on, Mr. Ciccup." Erick chortled, picking up his little niece. "You've got to show these kiddies what a real dragon rider can do!"

"Excuse me but I believe _you_ have a dragon as well?" Hiccup narrowed his eyes at Erick.

"Yeah but these kids want to see the Dragon Conqueror in action." Erick held up his hand in surrender. "I have a lot of experience trying to resist their spell but takes great strength and last I checked, you're a sucker for the big, sad eyes." he turned to Lalla. "Do the sad face!" Lalla looked at Hiccup with big, blue eyes.

"Ugh." Hiccup sighed dramatically. "You've found my one and only weakness."

"Hiccup, you should really go home and relax. There's plenty of time to dragon race later." Astrid told him.

"Aww come on!" Tuffnut piped up. "It's been _ages_ since the last time and we gotta give these kiddos a show! Isn't that right, princess?" he added to his daughter.

"I'm find, Astrid. I've had several days of inactivity. It's time to loosen up, do something fun." Hiccup could tell her resolve was crumbling. She never could turn down an opportunity to show off. "Please? Let's go for it. Like old times."

"Ohhhh all right. How can I say no to that face?" Astrid pinched his cheek.

"Easily." Hiccup deadpanned. "You do it all the time."

"So... meet at the arena in half an hour then?" Tuffnut looked extremely excited.

"Okay. C'mon, Toothless. We've got a village to wow." Hiccup laughed at his dragon, who was suddenly full of energy and enthusiasm despite their long flight.

"Awesome!" Tuffnut cheered. "I'm going to announce it to everyone and then we're gonna kick your butts in front of the whole village!"

"You just keep believing that, Tuff." Astrid smirked at him. "Just keep on believing."

Tuffnut scampered away, his happy toddler grinning at her ham of a daddy. Despite being slightly tired from the long flight home, Hiccup was excited. He loved dragon racing. He loved showing off his skills to the village and reminding them that he really _was_ the best. And, with such a willing audience, he felt it was time to show Erick what someone with a peg leg could do, given enough time.

* * *

Finn couldn't be more excited. A year and a half ago he saw his parents and their friends do their first Dragon Racing competition in years and it had been _amazing_. He couldn't believe how agile his parents and their dragons had been in the air. His dad especially had surprised him in many ways. The chief was usually so busy, he and Toothless never got much flight time in other than typical travel from place to place. Apparently they still had a few tricks up their sleeves.

He couldn't wait to see them race again. All of his friends eagerly helped the adults pull tarps off the various Dragon Racing beams and used pulleys to put up flags. Finn himself was helping Evan carry a large bench to the bleachers so the teens would have a front row seat. They dropped it and leaned over the edge, watching the action below.

"You look excited," Evan commented cheekily.

"You're not?" Finn asked incredulously, rapping his knuckles against the metal railings. "It's not every day you get to see the original riders duke it out."

"Truth," Evan nodded, glancing down. "Larson's got his hands full."

Finn looked down in time to see Erick shoo his niece and nephew out of the way. A few men marched passed carrying more spare benches. Apparently the whole village turned out to see the race. They needed every seat they could get!

Erick stood talking to his brother's kids when a little girl ran in, dragging a thick wooden plank. Finn wasn't sure what she was doing, but she seemed to be following the men judging by the cheery grin on her face and extra bounce in her step. However, she paused mid-step and whirled around to look behind her. The plank whipped over her shoulder and smacked Erick right above his prosthetic.

Erick's cry of pain echoed through the general area as he crumpled to his left knee. Finn turned and ran for the stairs, dodging villagers in his haste. He plowed through the doors and ran to his friend, who was slowly standing back up and shakily assuring the little girl and his niece and nephew that he was "fine".

The little girl looked close to tears. "I didn't mean it!"

"I know you didn't," Erick said softly. Finn admired his compassion even now, but he could see the difficulty his friend was going through. "It was an accident. I know I've smacked a few people on accident before. Just promise me you'll be careful?"

The girl nodded, her pigtail braids bobbing in tandem. She picked up her wooden plank and ran away hastily. As soon as she was gone, Erick turned to Finn, his face paling.

"I gotcha," Finn grabbed his arm and helped him to the nearest bench. Erick bit his lip, groaning with every step. He eased the blond down and watched him, unsure how else to help. Erick leaned over clutching his hair in a white-knuckled grip. Finn could see the sweat accumulating on his forehead. "Erick, breathe."

Erick released a shuddering breath. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve. "G-good thing I wasn't racing today."

"No kidding."

"You saw that?"

Finn looked up at the higher platform and found Evan still watching from above. He flashed him a thumbs up before replying to Erick, "Yeah, I was up there."

"Huh…" Erick managed, rubbing his sweaty palms on his knees. He slowly exhaled once more.

"You going to be okay?" Finn asked in concern.

Erick nodded, eyes downcast. "Yeah. I'll just sit for a bit."

"All right," Finn said, scratching his neck. "I can find Charger if you want to get a better v-"

"That's okay." Erick said quickly, faking a smile. "I'll walk up there soon."

Finn felt his heart crush a little. He couldn't deny the guilt that still welled up every time his friend was in pain. Sure, he'd been forgiven. Sure, they'd rebuilt their friendship. But his friend was still in physical pain and it was still his fault.

"I'm sorry."

Erick looked up at him through his bangs. "Finn, I'm fine.

"No, you're not."

"Man, we don't have to go over this again."

"I can't help it!" Finn grouched. "I did this to you."

"Finn, come on," Erick stood, stubbornly hiding his wince and slapping the Haddock's hand away when he tried to steady him. "When are we going to just move past it? It was accident!"

"That wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for me." Finn crossed his arms.

"Do you want me to be angry?" Erick asked. "Do you want me to ignore you and act like you don't exist? I don't know about you but I'd rather forgive and forget it! I just…"

Finn frowned. "What?"

"I want my friend to stop worrying about me." Erick said. "It's harder for me to accept it when you bring it up, and I'm not blaming you when I say that. I appreciate your willingness to help me. But I'm fine, really. It doesn't hurt that often; I just don't heal as fast as…"

"My dad," Finn said.

"Yeah," Erick admitted.

"Sorry," Finn said quietly.

"Stop apologizing!"

"I'm sorry for being sorry!" Finn threw out his hands.

"Shut up, Haddock."

"Fine, fine." Finn grinned, but was suddenly distracted by his parents and their dragons walking in with a herd of people on their heels. "Oh gods, let it begin!"

Erick laughed. "I'll catch up with you."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Finn shrugged, ignoring his overprotective conscience. "All right, see you up there!"

Jogging toward his parents, he couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. His parents were both dressed in their best flight suits and even sported some war paint on their faces. Toothless and Stormfly were also fancied up with paint to coordinate with their riders.

"I see you broke out the war paint!" Finn said, falling into step with his parents.

Hiccup grinned. "Call it a blast from the past."

"That's what we'll be saying when we whoop your butt," Astrid taunted.

"Dream on." Hiccup smirked. "We still got a few leftover tricks, don't we bud?"

"Gah I'm so excited. Okay, I'm going to get my seat before some dummy steals it." Finn said, jogging forward. "Break a leg!"

"Ha ha ha…" Hiccup deadpanned. "Never heard that one before!"

Finn laughed as he ran up the rest of the incline. He made it to the top and jumped over Inga and Alton's knees, taking his spot on the end. He was surprised for a moment to see Erick sitting in the row across from him, but a moment later noticed Charger standing behind him. Apparently he'd taken a flight to the top after all.

At long last, the horn blew and the crowds cheered. Finn bounced in excitement as his parents and all their friends marched in with their dragons. Hiccup and Toothless stood in the middle, as was custom when the chief played, and as usual his wife and her dragon stood just to their right. Next in sequence were Snotlout and Hookfang with their yellow and red war paint, and Fishlegs and Meatlug with orange and green. Finn did a double take when he looked on his father's left where the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut stood beside their Hideous Zippleback, Barf and Belch. The twins and dragon were divided by colors, Ruffnut and Barf had teal and yellow accents while Tuffnut and Belch sported yellow and black. Lots and lots of black.

"Wow, Tuffnut looks like one of those indigenous tribes in a book I have!" Adrianna stated down the row. Finn barely caught the look of irritation flash on Brandyn's face. He could relate: nobody else knew what she was talking about.

"Oh man, this is going to be insane…" Finn murmured, his knees bouncing.

"Hold still, Haddock!" Inga hissed, then suddenly screamed, "GO DADDY!"

"Eardrum," Finn griped, rubbing his ear.

"Aww did wittle Finny-winny get a boo-boo?" Inga taunted.

"SH!" Finn silenced her when Gobber took to the podium, issuing the crowds to quiet.

"As per usual, the rules are simple. Each sheep is worth one point and it must be put in your designated basket. The black sheep at the end is worth ten points. You may use weapons and pranks and other shenanigans may be pulled on the field. Try not to kill anyone." Gobber added dryly, sending a chatter of laughter to move through the stands. "Saddle up!"

The adults eagerly jumped into their saddles. Finn saw his dad snap Toothless's tail fin open wide. The riders tensed, readying for the horn. Finn leaned forward in anticipation…

* * *

Hiccup hadn't felt this excited in a long, long time. The second the horn was blown, Toothless snapped forward into the air, pulling his hair against his scalp and filling his lungs with cold air. He urged his dragon to pick up speed as they led the way over the village. He tuned out the screaming villagers and the twins smack-talking somewhere behind them, and issued Toothless into a steep dive. Within seconds, the Night Fury had a braying white sheep in his clutches.

Toothless put on a burst of speed, circling the outer village and spinning to avoid Stormfly coming up on his flank. The Nadder shot spines at them; Toothless tucked and dropped like a rock toward the water at breakneck speeds. Most people would be confused at their sudden descent, but clicking Toothless's tail into the fastest position, they soared toward the finish line at top speeds. Hiccup didn't need to check to make sure the sheep made it into the basket; Toothless never missed.

They rounded the bend once more, already searching the village for more sheep. Apparently they'd caught on to what was happening by now because there were no fluffy white balls to be seen.

"Let's see if we can grab two, bud," Hiccup said. Toothless nodded in assent before they took another steep dive into the streets. They turned a sharp corner and a group of sheep brayed in fear, running in the other direction. "Get 'em, bud!"

Toothless put on a burst of speed, catching up to the sheep quickly. The village opened up to the cliff side just beyond the street! They'd be able to grab two sheep and continue on without-

"AHHHH!"

Hiccup snapped Toothless's gear into a higher position so they flipped over Snotlout and Hookfang, who zoomed in from a side street with dragon aflame!

"Sorry to burst your bubble, chief, but those sheep are mine!"

"Not a chance, Snotlout!"

It was neck and neck as they tracked the sheep toward the village square. Toothless managed to grab a sheep before the others got away, scared off by Hookfang's flames. Snotlout snatched one sheep off the ground in passing before hollering at Hiccup to come back with his sheep.

Hiccup looked over his shoulder, surprised to see the Twins each carrying a sheep. If they could somehow steal at least one and cause some kind of ruckus, they'd be good for round three! "Get me in close, bud!"

He could hear the roaring crowds growing closer as they neared the front lines once more. Toothless swooped in close as Hiccup guided him underneath the Zippleback's soft underbelly. Hiccup knew from experience with many Zipplebacks that they were usually very ticklish just under their long neck. As they flew underneath, he reached up and rubbed his nails along Belch's neck. The dragon head spasmed and shook back and forth, sending Tuffnut nearly in free fall.

"RAAAAAAAYYYYYAAAHEYHEYHEYWHAT'SGOINGONWAITWAITWAITWAIT!"

Toothless swooped to the side just as Tuffnut dropped his sheep, which fell directly into Hiccup's arms. He saluted Ruffnut as she scowled at him, trying to keep their dragon (and brother) in the air. "Thanks!"

"HICCUP YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

The chief laughed as he and his dragon shot forward, waiting to drop both of the sheep into their basket. Toothless dropped his in first before dropping, looping around and swooping back over the bridge for Hiccup to throw his in as well. The Night Fury flew back toward the village in time for Meatlug and Stormfly to fly at them from the sides.

"Oh it's on!" Hiccup smirked, ducking low to his dragon's back and snapping the tail into another position. The chief knew his dragon could outrun both of theirs, but Fishlegs had smarts and Astrid had endurance and power and… well, pretty much everything he had. He learned long ago not to underestimate them. "If it's a race they want bud, let's give them a race."

Toothless roared in approval, shooting forward and weaving through the streets and breakneck speeds. They quickly lost Meatlug in the fray, but Stormfly wouldn't be deterred. The girls never caught up or fell behind, but they couldn't be shaken. Hiccup began to think his way through a plan when Astrid yelled, "What are you waiting for? A shoulder to cry on when you lose?"

Hiccup smirked, eyeing the buildings surrounding them. He knew he'd have a lot of work to do for wrecking things, but right now he didn't care. His competitive side was on overdrive and his reputation as a winner was at stake! He wasn't sure who was winning the race so far, but they had 3 sheep for less than ten minutes of play time. The black sheep had to be coming any minute. Right now, it was all or nothing.

Rising out of his crouch, Hiccup unsheathed his sword and swung at the nearest rope that held up scaffolding. He heard the girls gasp in shock and assumed they had to break their flight pattern to escape the oncoming wreckage. They exited the village and flew through the Hatchery and water basin before they flew the curvature of the large stone spire.

"Hey! You're going to pay for that!"

Hiccup groaned. He just wanted to finish this lap! Why did his wife have to be so aggressive? Yanking his sword back out, he slammed the blade into the stone as they flew. He urged Toothless to pick up speed, sending rock, dust and sparks raining behind them. Hiccup gritted his teeth, looking behind in time to see Stormfly drop thirty feet below to avoid the cloud. The chief was thankful the wind doused the flames on his sword enough for him to put it away.

"Toothless," Hiccup said, looking down at an unsuspecting Fishlegs far below them with two sheep in his beefy arms. "Let's pay our friend a visit." Twisting in mid-air, the Night Fury dropped, sending a sonic whistle through the air. Fishlegs began to scrabble for the reigns as Meatlug began to panic; both sheep ended up falling toward the ocean in free fall.

Toothless cackled as they snatched up one of the sheep, the poor thing braying anxiously. Hiccup glanced over in time to see Astrid snatch up the other sheep before pulling out of their dive. The chief urged his dragon toward the finish once more to toss their sheep back inside. A quick glance at the other baskets showed a close game. Thankfully Fishlegs had a few sheep in there, so he felt less guilty about stealing the two he just had. Then again, butterfingers!

Stormfly flew right on their tail as suddenly the large horn blew. The black sheep!

"TOOTHLESS UP UP UP!"

The Night Fury shot above the village as fast as dragonly possible, waiting for the fuzzy ball of fluff to fly into the sky. Within seconds, the black sheep emerged near Mara's house. Toothless shot forward, ignoring the other four dragons flying in from all the other directions to catch it. Hiccup snapped his dragon's tail just a bit farther and they snatched the black sheep out of the air, right in front of Snotlout.

"HEY!" Snotlout screamed just before a certain Gronckle plowed into him.

Hiccup laughed and zoomed through the various buildings, knowing his wife and friends were right on his tail. He could hear the Twins still smack-talking each other, just like old times.

"Come on, Toothless, we're almost there!" Hiccup yelled, but suddenly Toothless yelped and they plummeted ten feet! "What-" A pair of grinning blue eyes peeked out from beside him. "Astrid!"

"Sorry babe," She cooed, kissing his cheek. "We gotta take this one."

"What do you- WAIT!"

Astrid loosed a buckle on Toothless's rigging, sending them plummeting to the ground. Hiccup and Toothless yelled as the trio free fell with the sheep screaming in Toothless's arms. As Hiccup scrambled for the rigging, Astrid maneuvered around the dragon and yanked the sheep out of his claws.

"Thanks!" She leaped off in time for Stormfly to catch her, flying away rapidly toward the finish line.

Hiccup leaned over the side, yanking the rigging back into place as fast as he could while the water loomed below. "Come on, come on!" Finally, the rigging snapped into place. He yanked up on the steering and Toothless roared at the ocean defiantly. At the last second, they blasted across the surface of the ocean, spraying water in all directions.

Hiccup saw the others nearing the finish line. They wouldn't win the race—but they _couldn't_ come in last! Toothless roared competitively when Hiccup urged him to go faster. Within seconds, they caught up to the rest of the group. They blasted across the finish line at the same time as Snotlout, the Twins and Fishlegs right on their heels.

The crowds roared, drowning out the sounds of their heavy breathing. Hiccup sat up as Toothless gradually slowed to a drift. His heart pounded in his chest so rapidly, he thought it might burst! He hadn't had a thrill like that in years! They seriously needed to do this more often.

He bent over and patted Toothless on the neck. "Good game, bud." Toothless rumbled in agreement. Hiccup twisted in his saddle and ducked in time for his wife and Stormfly to blast over their heads, cheering above the crowds and pumping her fists just like old times. He didn't know where the time had gone, but some things never changed.

* * *

When his mother crossed the finish line and threw the black sheep into her basket, Finn could have exploded with pride. But when his dad caught up to the others in three seconds flat after nearly plummeting into the ocean, he cheered like a wild man. When Toothless and the other dragons blasted across the finish line, all the teens' hair was blown back from their faces, sticking up in awkward angles.

Finn laughed along with the other kids, noticing Brandyn sitting sullenly on the other end of the bench. He sat stooped over the edge, staring in Finn's general direction looking completely bored. He didn't know how the guy didn't get a rush out of such a competitive race!

Suddenly, Brandyn's eyes focused on him and his expression morphed into one of shock and confusion. Finn frowned, confused himself, when he realized something. His hair was still blown back.

_The slave mark._

Quickly, he shoved his hair down and faced forward, unsure of what to do. Brandyn hadn't known about his past, not enough for details. The family had never thought it his business to know, so he'd never been told. But now… he glanced down the row at Brandyn, who was giving him the strangest, most calculating smirk he'd ever seen on the boy's face. Brandyn finally looked away, but the remnants of a hidden grin remained on his features.

Finn flushed, suddenly wanting to run away. Just as quickly, he stamped out those feelings. He needed to learn to face these things head on. Surely Brandyn wouldn't be the first to accidentally discover the mark. He needed to be able to talk about it.

But not now; there were too many people and it would be hard to hear with all the cheering and screaming. He'd talk to Brandyn later, maybe at work. So instead, he stood tall and cheered back at his mother who triumphantly stood atop her Nadder.

Ten minutes later, his parents finally landed and hopped to the ground. Finn could see that the stress lines had left his mother's face and the bright light of excitement in his father's eyes was insurmountable. They almost looked like kids, managing to smack-talk and compliment each other at the same. They needed to do this more often, he thought, not only because it was fun to watch, but also because it seemed to take years off of them.

"That was amazing!" Finn said, running forward and slinging his arms around their shoulders. "I don't even know where to begin!"

"How about at the part where she unclipped the rigging and nearly killed us!" Hiccup said.

"You enjoyed the challenge," Astrid fired back.

"Well, I made you eat dust at any rate."

"Literally," Finn chortled. "You didn't ruin your sword when you did that, did you?"

Hiccup pulled it out and checked the blade. "No, it's pretty strong metal. It could probably use a nice sharpening though."

"Remind me later and I'll do it."

"All right." Hiccup looked around. "Where are Addie and Brandyn?"

"Huh," Finn said, turning in a circle. "Don't know. They were here not long ago. Guess they cleared out fast."

The light in his father's eyes dimmed ever so slightly at that, but it was fleeting.

"Wherever he is, he better get to the forge right quick," Gobber said. "We've got lots of work to do."

"Aw boo." Finn frowned.

His father smiled. "It's all right, we can talk more about my awesomeness over dinner."

"And my supreme excellence?" Astrid asked.

"We will talk about your supreme excellence over your supremely excellent dinner." Hiccup nodded.

Astrid grinned smugly. "I thought so."

"Can't wait!" Finn grinned, following Gobber out the gate. "See you later!"

* * *

Brandyn and Adrianna hurried down a deserted alley, their hands clasped tightly. Adrianna found it slightly odd that he had taken her from the game seconds after its end but she liked surprises and she hoped this was one worth skipping her mother's triumphant walk to her adoring fans.

"Slow down!" she laughed as he hurtled behind two buildings and peered around as if they were being followed. "What's the rush?"

"I just don't want to get interrupted." Brandyn said shortly. "Come on, let's go in that barn over there."

"Barn?" Adrianna huffed a bit as she was running to keep up with her boyfriend. "Really, Brandyn? That's so cliché!"

"Oh hush." Brandyn threw open the barn door and shooed out a Terrible Terror from within.

Adrianna fell back against the hay as Brandyn slammed the barn door shut. The dim light shining through the few windows gave the place an eerie illumination. She liked the ambiance. She _really_ liked her boyfriend's spontaneity.

"Finally." Brandyn stated with a wide grin. "Alone time."

"I thought you didn't like it." Adrianna pointed out. "You said we need to hang out with people more often."

"I didn't say I like it _all_ the time." Brandyn sighed. "Do you want to do this or not?"

Adrianna's stomach clenched. She was annoying him again. "Sorry."

Brandyn smiled triumphantly and leaned over her in the hay. Their lips met, immediately sending a warm feeling through Adrianna's stomach. She loved being kissed by him. Her boyfriend's hands skimmed her waist before resting on her hips, his thumbs digging into her hip bones as he kissed her more fervently. He sighed heatedly, brushing his tongue against her lips. Adrianna sucked his top lip into her mouth, pulling him closer than before. Soon his chest was top of hers and his knees were on either side of her legs and all she could think about was Brandyn. She could feel her heart rate quicken when he began to mouth her jaw and make his way down her neck. He reached up and tilted her jaw up, baring her throat to his open-mouthed kisses. Adrianna moaned, pulling at his shirt on his back and feeling his strong muscles beneath the material.

When he kissed her like this, she couldn't help but feel amazing. Wanted. No boy had ever treated her like this before and he made her feel fantastic. She almost never wanted him to stop, but knew that couldn't happen. They had to stop at some point.

Brandyn began to slide his hands up her shirt as he ducked his head and began kissing down her chest. "W-wait, maybe that's a bit too much."

Her boyfriend pulled away from her skin with a loud pop, staring up at her in the dim light with a hungry glint. His eyes were teasing but also serious. "Toying with your tank top is too much?"

Adrianna breathed a laugh, barely able to think straight with his strong fingers massaging the skin of her waist. Brandyn returned his mouth to her chest, moving along the line of her shirt. Across, downward, lightly pressing the material farther down... She closed her eyes and bit her lip, forcing herself to push his face away from her chest. No matter how amazing his mouth felt on her body, she wanted to save the intimate details for later.

Brandyn's hands froze at her sides. "Come on, Nani." he whimpered. "Don't ruin it."

Adrianna kissed him gently as she put her hands on top of his. "This is nice." she whispered.

"No," Brandyn's jaw tightened and he straightened up. "This is _boring_."

"Boring?" Adrianna sat up. "How is it boring?"

"We always just kiss, Anna. And you don't let me do any more than that." he growled. "I can't just do the same thing over and over. You need to trust me!"

"I do!"

"Then just... just let me do this." he leaned in and kissed her nose. "Let me show you how much I care about you."

"We don't need to get more physical than this, Brandyn." Adrianna reached up and stroked his cheek. "We're not married."

"So that's it?" Brandyn asked through gritted teeth. "I don't want to wait that long, babe."

Adrianna felt her heart constrict. Was she hearing what she _thought_ she was hearing? As if to answer her unspoken question, Brandyn began to stroke the inside of her thigh. She felt her whole body heating up. A tiny part of her wanted this. It had been nearly two years since she and Brandyn had begun dating and he had _never_ touched her like that before. Feelings she'd never had before ignited within her like Toothless's plasma blasts and it took all her willpower to shift away from Brandyn's hand.

"Not yet." she said firmly. "I want to wait."

"We don't have to go all the way." Brandyn moaned in her ear, his hand moving from her thigh to snake up her shirt. "There's plenty of other things we can do."

She wanted this. His hand on her stomach, slowly drifting toward her chest, was awakening desires she'd never had before. She wanted to rip off his shirt and run her fingers over his bare chest and back. She felt a sudden, intense urge to throw caution to the wind, to do things to him that she knew were foolish and dangerous outside of marriage. Brandyn planted kisses on her neck, his warm breath tickling her slightly, and she felt herself burn with desire.

"Stop." she breathed. He continued kissing her, his mouth trailing down her collarbone. "Bran-"

"Hush." he whispered. "Just trust me."

His lips were too low now. His thumbs pulled down her shirt so he could continue planting kisses down her chest. Adrianna dearly wanted him to continue, wanted to go as far as any two people could in this situation. But something in her gut told her that it was wrong. This wasn't where she wanted to do this. This wasn't _when_ she wanted to do this.

"N-no." she said firmly. "I want you to stop."

Brandyn's head shot up. "I told you to trust me."

"This is too much right now." Adrianna insisted. "I told you I wanted to wait for this."

"Fine." Brandyn got off of her and straightened up. "I guess you _can't_ trust me. And why should you? Apparently I'm not worthy enough to show you how I feel about you."

"That's not it at all." Adrianna stood up, feeling a bit shaky on her feet. "I just wanted to wait until-"

"Until you're married." Brandyn interrupted. "Listen, Anna, no guy wants to wait that long. Doesn't matter if it's me or Erick or anyone. We have needs. And you're not meeting those needs."

"What needs?"

"Physical needs!" Brandyn snapped. "Forget it, you could never understand."

"Hey," Adrianna took a step forward and grasped his hand. "Help me understand."

"This isn't going to be one of those heart to hearts you're always having." Brandyn looked away from her. "You're not old enough to get married and I've waited a _really_ long time. I'm not asking for sex. I'm asking for something more than what we're doing now. Unless..." he faced her. "Unless you want to break up."

Adrianna's insides froze. "What?"

"Well I don't!" Brandyn shrugged. "I want to stay together. You're a great girlfriend but I need more than that. You know I do. And I don't want to have to break up with you because you're not doing your part."

"Okay." Adrianna nodded reluctantly. "I'll think about it."

"Don't just think about it." Brandyn commanded. "This isn't one of your books. It's not something you think about. It's something you feel. But I guess you don't care about me as much as I care about you."

Before Adrianna could respond, he wrenched his hand out of her grip and marched through the door, slamming it behind him. The Haddock girl stood alone in the empty barn. She didn't want to lose her boyfriend. She loved him! She would never find anyone who made her feel like _that_ again. She had been hurt by so many people, she needed someone who would love her and only her. That person was Brandyn. She needed him more than he could ever understand.

But... _this_?

Adrianna left the barn and began walking in the direction of home. She was going to have to think about her relationship a little bit more.

* * *

Brandyn showed up at the forge a couple minutes late, mumbling a response. Gobber merely pointed at the pile of broken tools and weapons that needed fixing. He set to work across from Finn, leaving the room in silence except for Gobber's whistling in the background. They worked for a few hours, talking a little here and there about the race or the struggles of customer service, but at long last Gobber stepped away from the anvil.

"All right you lot," The old man said, marching to the back door. "I need a wee."

Finn made a face. "Great! I hope it all comes out okay."

Brandyn snorted across from him. Finn bit his tongue to prevent more sasstastic remarks from popping out of his big mouth. Silence filled the entire forge as both young men worked on their projects, which strangely didn't make much noise. The Haddock boy could feel the tension rising that always came with an awkward silence.

"So, the slave mark, huh?"

Finn dropped his tool with a clang and stared up at the other boy, who merely smirked. He snatched his tool back up and got back to work. "You weren't supposed to see it."

"I figured. Is that why you never cut your hair?"

"For your information I like my long hair." Finn remarked. After a beat of silence, he nodded. "And I suppose it helps with that."

"So what's the scoop?" Brandyn leaned forward, clearly uninterested in working. He rested his chin in his palm, light blue eyes aglow. "Were you really adopted as a child?"

Finn's face fell flat. "Pretty sure I have some fairly memorable Haddock and Hofferson qualities."

"Okay, okay," Brandyn chortled. "But no mark like that comes without an interesting story. So spill!"

Finn sighed, turning to throw some tools into a bin behind him. "It's nothing less interesting than a stupid little boy running away from home and getting himself into a world of trouble. Literally."

"Huh, sounds like fun."

"Not fun." Finn frowned. He continued tinkering in silence, ignoring Brandyn's patient expression. Finally, he relented. "My parents were fighting a lot. After the duel with Dagur the Deranged, my dad wasn't really the same guy."

Brandyn snorted derisively, slowly returning to a standing position. "What, like he went on a victory streak?"

"Uh no." Finn raised an eyebrow. "He was… angry all the time. He didn't eat or sleep or talk to anyone, except when he did you didn't want to hear what he had to say. He was mean."

"Hm," Brandyn hummed noncommittally. "Interesting."

"Why's that interesting?"

"Because it's kind of hard to believe," Brandyn shrugged. "The scariest I've seen him was that one meeting in the Great Hall in front of the whole village. Surely _you_ remember that."

Finn scowled. The big warning to the gang he'd created to turn themselves in or face the chief's wrath. Oh yeah, he remembered that. How things would be different now if he'd listened earlier (at least for Erick anyway).

"Yeah, well he was worse. Anyway, my parents fought all the time, Anna fought with our mom. I just got sick of it. Hopped on Johann's ship and took a trip to Rune."

Brandyn laughed mirthlessly. "Wow, Rune? Of all places-"

"You've been there?" Finn inquired.

The teen shook his head. "Unfortunately. Not a pleasant place."

"No kidding." Finn agreed. "I ran into a man named Javan-"

"Man, you _really_ got the short end of the stick."

Finn paused. "What, you know him too?"

"I've been around," Brandyn tapped the side of his nose. "Continue."

The Haddock shrugged off his confusion. "Anyway, he sold me to the slave trade. And I was taken a long, long way from here." Finn glanced at the back door. Gobber was having a real _long_ wee.

"Where?"

"If I tell you I'm afraid you'll say you've been there and knew the people I met."

Brandyn laughed. "Try me."

"…Maero."

"Nope, never been that far south."

"Yet you still recognize the name." Finn marveled. "Do you study maps or something?"

Brandyn seemed to weigh his words carefully, which was strange. He always had a quick answer. "I did some traveling with my parents when I was little. Before my dad died."

"Oh." Finn nodded. He didn't push the topic further. If Brandyn seemed relieved or put off, he didn't show it. Instead he sighed.

"I suppose nobody knows about your mark then?"

"Only the council and my family. A few who remember that far back might remember details." Finn said. "But if anyone saw Benen those first few months, they knew where he came from. I can imagine some used deductive reasoning."

"Ah yes," Brandyn nodded. "Benen."

Finn searched his expression. "What about him?"

"So you're allowed to be chief?" Brandyn asked instead, ignoring his question.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you recently got cleared by the council didn't you? Anna doesn't have to worry about that weight resting on her shoulders anymore." Brandyn said casually. "But you've got the slavemark. The council is okay with that?"

Finn frowned in confusion. "You're implying that they shouldn't be."

Brandyn shrugged. "Some people out there wouldn't dare put a slave on the throne."

Finn's inner fire ignited. He raised his chin defiantly. "I'm not a slave anymore."

"No," Brandyn smirked. "But you're still marked. Some chiefs out there may not like that."

"Give me an example."

"Allie the Insincere."

Finn pursed his lips. "Okay…"

"I'm not saying on Berk it's an issue, or that it even _should_ be an issue. But for some cultures out there, some that aren't all that far away, slaves having any kind of freedom or power is forbidden. It's practically taboo."

Finn stared down at his desk. "Gotcha."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Brandyn said, turning and hanging up a finished hammer. "The council and your father are the ones who carry the most weight around here. If they approved you, who cares what other islands think, right?"

Finn felt unsure. But he still nodded in agreement. "Right."

The forge filled with silence once more while the boys continued to tinker on their piles of projects. Finn's heart felt like it was being squeezed. He didn't want to take Brandyn's words to heart, but he couldn't help but feel a little concerned. He had no idea there were laws out there that prevented former slaves from being any kind of ruler. As far as he knew, Berk didn't hold to those laws.

"Relax, Finn." Brandyn finally spoke. "Your secret is safe with me."

Finn felt his shoulders relax ever so slightly. He'd been working up the courage to ask about that. But he wondered why Brandyn spoke first on the matter. "Why?"

Brandyn shrugged and gave him a smile. "Every man's got his secrets, right? Who am I to let the cat out of the bag?"

Finn hummed noncommittally. "Does this mean I get to know one of your secrets? Burden for burden or something, yeah?"

Brandyn gave him a calculated grin. "Maybe someday." He lifted his tools off the table and marched away, leaving Finn standing alone. He stared after the young man in confusion, wondering what exactly made the guy tick. He seemed to be acting a little differently as of late. He got more irritated with Adrianna than usual, though Finn felt like he'd be in the same boat if he was dating a girl like his sister. He didn't think there was anything wrong with her, but he knew he wanted a girl that could keep up with him. He wasn't sure if Adrianna was the girl for Brandyn.

But who was he to voice these concerns? He wasn't. There was nothing wrong with their relationship that he knew about, so these mild concerns were merely stipulation. Besides, young people change a lot in the course of their teenage years. Brandyn was almost nineteen now. Maybe he was going through a phase. Whatever it was, he himself had plenty of his own issues and attitude problems. It was probably nothing.

"Alright," Gobber finally emerged from the back door. "Did you two knuckleheads get anything done while I was out? Finn, you been daydreaming about Inga again?"

"What!" Finn yelled, ignoring Brandyn's laugh. He turned and threw a ballpoint hammer at the other teen. "No, we were just-"

"Not getting enough work done, I see." Gobber said shrewdly. "Look, Brandyn's got his entire space cleared out and you've gotten nothing done in the last ten minutes!"

"Speaking of, did you wash your hands?" Finn asked cheekily.

"Aww why I oughta-" Gobber swiped at the Haddock boy, who nimbly leapt aside and stood next to Brandyn.

"Okay, okay!" Finn chortled. "I'll finish this and lock up."

"You do that," Gobber slung an arm around Brandyn's shoulders and dragged him to the door. "Come on then, Brano, let's get some grub!"

"Brano?"

"I like the new nickname!"

"Shut up, Finn!"

Finn laughed and speedily began working on the rest of his pile of weapons and tools to fix. He'd probably be here another twenty minutes or so. He filled the time with thinking over Brandyn's conversation one more time. He resolved to talk with his dad about the slave laws later. He sincerely hoped they weren't breaking any Archipelagan laws. Otherwise, Adrianna might have to be chief after all. He didn't want to start a civil war for simply being an ex-slave.

The idea was silly anyway. Didn't blood trump scars? By blood and birthright, he was the heir. So why did a stupid mark on his right temple make any difference? He didn't belong to them anymore. His father had bought back his freedom.

Finn sighed, old pains and memories dredging up from the recesses of his mind. Maero, Ratri, Latin-speaking commoners, slave traders, filthy living conditions. More than ever he wanted to do something about it. He wished he could jump on his dragon and free every single slave out there. They didn't deserve to be taken from their homes or snatched from the streets. Babies, orphans, young adults, women, able-bodied men, the elderly—it didn't matter. Nobody escaped the clutches of slavery. Even if they somehow attained their freedom, slavery was forever a part of them. It was burned into their skin, rippling with the scars of healed wounds.

The mark of a slave never faded. The pain never went away. He knew this more than anyone. The second Benen had passed away, he'd felt alone in a world of free people who couldn't understand his pain. They couldn't comprehend the demons that plagued him some days. Sometimes it would appear in Cale's cruelty to little kids in the street. He'd cringe at the realization that just a few years ago, that had been him. Other times it would appear in his dreams, leaving him gasping for air and checking his skin for stripes, but finding healed scars.

More than ever, Finn wanted to do something. He felt powerless against the cold giant that was slavery. He wanted to free people; he wanted to give them the life that he'd been given.

He suddenly realized his cheeks were wet. He huffed at himself, wiping his face on his shirt. With a wry smile, he thought maybe if he could one day free every man, woman and child from the deadly grip of slavery, then being an ex-slave himself wasn't so bad. Fellow slaves had to stick together. Just like Benen had helped him from day one, he wanted to help them. One day, he resolved, he would. He had to.


	3. Collapse

Coasting over the bridge leading to the Haddock home, Finn gradually steered Zap toward the ground. She landed on her front paws and trotted toward the barn, snuffling against the grass excitedly.

"You hungry, big girl?" Finn asked as he slid off the saddle. Zap bounced up and down, her tail pounding against the barn door like a war drum. "Okay, okay! Come on then." The teenager hauled half a barrel of cod into her giant bowl, marveling when she eagerly began to snap up the fish.

He still couldn't believe how big she'd gotten. She wasn't much bigger than Toothless, but the Shockjaw had grown nearly four and a half feet since he'd first met her. Housebreaking and hours upon hours of training had kept him extremely busy that first winter. Between his job, countless chores for fixing his mistakes, and then taking care of his new baby dragon, Finn had hit the hay every night exhausted for what felt like ages. Finally he'd found a groove that fit his schedule and the rest was history.

Finn scratched her scales behind her ears lovingly before walking out of the barn. He heard a bark of laughter behind the door as he pushed his way inside. He blinked in surprise at his father sitting on the kitchen table getting his left bicep wrapped in a white cloth by his wife.

"What happened to you?"

"Yes," Astrid gave her husband a mocking smile. "What happened to you, Hiccup?"

Adrianna snorted from her reading chair in the living room, sparkling green eyes peeping over her book. Finn looked back at his parents in confusion, barely catching Hiccup's timid glance at Astrid.

"Well…" Hiccup scratched his neck. "I had a duel."

Finn's eyes widened. "What? And you didn't invite me?"

"It wasn't on Berk."

"Wait," Finn's eyes narrowed. "You dueled _Allie_?"

"She insisted!" Hiccup threw his arms out. Astrid huffed and pulled his arm taught, making him wince. "Easy there. Gah! Woman."

"Don't you easy there me!" Astrid said as she walloped him on the back of the head. "You've got to stop doing this stuff, it's stupid!"

"How many times do I have to say that when I'm given a belligerent request to duel, which is the only way to 'ceremoniously open the proceedings' mind you," Hiccup said with flourishing air quotes, making his kids chuckle. "I can't say no!"

"You can say no or the meetings are off!"

"Astrid, I can't just call off the meetings that twelve chieftains traveled far and wide to attend!"

"Did they have to duel as well?"

"…no."

"See!" Astrid nearly yelled. "She's trying to get you killed!"

"Or worse, footless," Adrianna piped, staring at his remaining appendage.

Finn crossed his arms. "Seriously dad, what would happen if they shipped us a dead body with a not-so-apologetic 'oops' from Allie the Sincere- oh wait, no, that's _Insincere_!"

"Ha! That's what I said." Astrid said, yanking the cloth tight with finality. Hiccup winced and rubbed his arm.

"Thanks." The chief slowly stood with a sigh. "I know guys, I get it, but it's a matter of honor and making a good impression. Also, Finn, thank you for that vote of confidence. Shipping my dead body? Thanks."

"Hey, I'm trying to think logically here."

The girls burst into laughter when Hiccup pouted. "Logically? What's that supposed to mean? I've had many successful duels!"

Finn tried to stifle his guffaws. "No that's not what I- aw come on dad, come back!"

"Nope!" Hiccup said as he marched up the stairs with squared shoulders. "I officially wash my hands of you."

"Baby!" Astrid yelled up. Hiccup turned at the top step and stuck his tongue out. "Hurry up though, dinner's almost finished."

Finn marched into the kitchen, snatching four plates before his mother could even open the cabinet. Within five minutes he had the table set as Hiccup tromped back down the stairs in more comfortable trousers and a wool shirt.

"Done moping?" Finn smirked.

Hiccup pointed at him. "You shush."

A loud scratching the door and wailing "AROOOOOOOOO" filled the silence.

"Aw man," Finn sighed. "Zappy, go back to bed!"

"AROOOOOOOOOOO!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Finn, let her in," Hiccup laughed.

"I was going to; it's just fun to tease her, but she doesn't know that!" Finn put a hand on the door. "Zap? You can't run. If you run, I'm putting you back out. Can you be nice?"

"AH-ROOOO!"

Finn sighed. "Alright…"

He cracked the door open, but it was instantly shoved in when the Shockjaw plowed inside. She instantly ran to Adrianna's side in the living room, sniffing her lap and book for treats.

"Hey you big bad precious!" Adrianna dropped her book, not even bothering to save her page. She grabbed the dragon's face and shook in back and forth. "What's my big drooly face doin', huh? Awe you wookin' for tweats!"

Zap pranced in place, nearly knocking over the coffee table before rolling onto her back to expose her belly. Finn jumped in with his sister to give the dragon an extra good belly rub. Toothless growled in contempt when the bluish-green dragon's tail slapped away his cod.

"Aw hush, you big galloot!" Finn said. "You're always getting spoiled. Ow! Dad, control your dragon!"

The twins looked up when Hiccup didn't respond. Even Zap twisted to look over at her master's dad. They discovered Hiccup and Astrid having a very quiet argument in the kitchen, probably still over the duel because the chief gave an insistent "I'm _fine_!"

Finn pursed his lips and looked over at his sister, raising his eyebrows and looked to the door. _Should we leave?_

Adrianna shook her head, pointing to the table. _Let's sit down._ She got up from the floor and grabbed the bubbling pot off the fire and set it on the table, stoically ignoring the adults rising argument.

"-stop being so worried about me all the time."

"You need to stop making stupid decisions! Or rather allowing other people to allow you to make stupid decisions, however you want to look at it."

"I will do what I have to do, Astrid!"

"You don't need to prove yourself to anybody! The entire Archipelago is afraid of you!"

"Not true." Hiccup pointed a finger in her face. "I haven't done anything to strike fear in anyone's heart in a decade so that argument is invalid."

"So let's just be careless because people need to remember how capable you are." Astrid said snidely, grabbing the water pitcher and walking to the table.

"Oh my gods, Astrid, it's called tradition!"

"Then delegate it!" Astrid exclaimed. "Start taking councilmembers with you when you go to these things!"

Hiccup laughed. "Oh yeah, and who do you suggest I pawn off? Snotlout? Horst? Or wait, Gobber's a seasoned veteran; surely he'd be willing to take my place."

A knot began to form between Finn's shoulder blades at the bite in his father's voice. He hated it when his parents fought. It brought back too many bad memories of varying kinds. Adrianna didn't seem to be faring much better, pressing her hand into half of her face.

"Maybe it would be better than losing you," Astrid muttered.

"Now why would you even say that?" Hiccup demanded.

"You're the last person that needs to die-"

"Nobody even died!"

"Not yet-"

Adrianna finally snapped. "Can you guys please stop it?" Zap suddenly pressed into Finn's side with a whine.

Hiccup looked away, his hand tight against his waist. Astrid calmly sat down in her seat, staring down at her plate. The house rang in deafening silence for a few minutes. Finn dry swallowed, glancing at his dad from the corner of his eye. Finally, his prosthetic squeaked when he moved toward the table. He sat down with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry, guys," Hiccup apologized. "We shouldn't fight in front of you."

Neither of the kids responded. Finn didn't want to say something to upset him further. Adrianna had other ideas however.

"Mom's got a point," She looked at him pointedly. "I get it's protocol but what's worse: breaking tradition or potentially dying?" Then she turned to their mom before Hiccup could reply, "And you're overreacting bit. It's just a cut on his arm. It could be worse right?"

Finn didn't know what to expect to happen next, but it wasn't Zap sneaking her dragon-y lips and tongue pulling Hiccup's plate toward the edge of the table. The chief looked down at her shrewdly. "Really?"

Zap sank to the floor with a dragoness grumble, which summoned an easy chuckle out of the family. At long last, the tension seemed to break and everyone began to gather food. Hiccup dropped a fatty piece of meat toward Zap and launched a second toward Toothless across the room, ignoring Astrid's stink eye. Finn could tell most of their ire had simmered. He shot his sister and dragon a thankful smile and began to shovel down his food.

As usual, Finn finished first and began to clear away the leftovers. This was something he did mind doing anymore. He often helped his mother cook if he got home early enough, but he barely thought about doing household chores like this anymore. When he first started going out of his way to make amends to his family and village, it had been a lot of (tiring) work. But it proved fruitful in the end, for now he had quite a few good habits under his belt.

The others chatted about various things while he scrubbed some dishes. His conversation with Brandyn came back to mind and he began to meditate on it once again. He still wasn't sure why the guy would bring it up and discuss all these in depth laws, just to turn around and say he need not worry about it.

"You're awfully quiet, Finn." Hiccup said from the table. "What are you planning?"

"Well-"

"Oh, he's not planning anything." Adrianna snatched a cookie out of the cookie jar. "When he's planning things, he smirks. You don't have a poker face like Erick does; he'd have an elaborate plan to string up like a wild hog in minutes."

"Which is why one does not anger a Larson," Finn said emphatically. "Anyway… I had a weird conversation with Brandyn today."

"Really?" Astrid asked with interest.

"Yeah…" Finn paused. He questioningly turned toward his dad, who raised his eyebrows. "He um… he saw my slavemark today." The temperature seemed to have dropped as the trio stilled. Finn plowed forward, "It was at the race, the wind blew my hair back so it wasn't anything weird. But he acted strange after that."

Adrianna frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he brought up the fact that I'm cleared to be the official heir again," Finn watched his father's face darken, as if he knew where this was going. "And made mention of certain laws that people hold that forbid a slave from holding any leadership positions."

His sister looked devastated. "Really?"

Hiccup took a long, deep breath before releasing it. "Yes. There are several villages that hold to that. We don't," He said firmly, looking his son in the eye. Finn felt reassurance take a hold of his heart. "So you don't need to worry about that."

Despite the comfort, Finn had to know more. "But he mentioned Allie," His mother scowled at the mention. "She wouldn't like it."

Hiccup turned his cup against the table. "As far as I'm concerned, I do with my village what I will and last I checked Allie does the same. We lead our people very, very differently, but neither of us can force the other to do something we don't agree with. It just doesn't work that way."

"Unless she felt so compelled as to go to war over it," Finn muttered.

His father looked up at him. "Finn, look at me." Finn slowly raised his eyes. "You are going to be chief one day. Don't you ever doubt that."

Finn nodded nervously. "Could that happen though?"

"They'd have to dethrone me and basically change everything from top to bottom," Hiccup said. "And believe you me that would take a long, _long_ time. Our heritage isn't as steeped in barbarism as some of the surrounding cultures. Personally I don't think it would be worth the effort just to keep one kid off the throne."

"So why did Brandyn bring it up then?"

"Well he's from Outcast Island, isn't he?" Astrid asked with a shrug. "Surely he knows Allie the Insincere well enough. I'm sure he's seen the way she operates as a chieftess, or why else would he want to move away so badly?"

"And guys, we've had _countless_ people move to Berk in the last twenty years." Hiccup added. "I couldn't even tell you the number. A lot of people want to live on Berk because we're the most fertile, the least aggressive, we're independent, our chief doesn't make any demands that aren't completely copacetic, and we Berkians fly dragons for a living. What's not to love?"

Adrianna smirked. "I think his head is swelling."

"Just a bit," Astrid agreed.

"Hey," Hiccup raised his hands. "What can I say? My life's work is a bit satisfying okay?"

"Yeah yeah," Astrid poked his arm as she stood. "Adri, get the rest of the dishes for your brother?"

"Meh okay."

Finn watched his sister grab the rest of the plates, scrape them into the garbage bucket and drop them in the wash bin. She made some jab about him moving his big butt, so he grudgingly scooted over. He refocused on his parents to see his mother's arms wrapped around Hiccup's chest from behind as she murmured something to him. Hiccup tilted his face toward her too, an apologetic expression on his face. Finn barely heard him say, "Me too."

He didn't know much about marriage and if he knew anything, it was that they weren't perfect. No marriage was. No single young man or woman was perfect, so no couple could seriously be absolute perfection. There were good days and bad days, easy days and trying days. But one day he wanted to have a marriage like they did.

Through all of their ups and downs, they still made time for each other. They apologized after arguments, to each other and their kids. It took effort and a lot of humility to apologize to somebody; of all people, Finn understood that. And his parents always made the effort. Even after more than a decade and a half of marriage, they still held hands in public and tried to do meals together whenever they could. Finn wondered if he'd ever know a deep friendship like the one they shared.

Astrid brushed her lips against Hiccup's ear as she whispered something, making his eyes widen ever so slightly. He fought a smirk and his tipped head at her, watching her playful grin. "Save it for later," Hiccup murmured before looking forward in time to catch Finn's eye. A crooked smile merged onto Hiccup's face and the teen looked away, a blush overtaking his youthful face.

"Hey, that's what you get for eavesdropping."

"I ain't droppin no eaves," Finn stood, face still flushed. "Ya'll disgust me."

"Oh you ain't seen nothin' yet."

"Nope!" Finn marched up the stairs. "Still think they're cute, Anna?"

"Shutup or take my place, Finnegan!"

Finn laughed once and then whistled for Zap, listening happily as she bounded up the stairs to join him. He hopped in his bed, grabbed a half-finished wood carving and a dagger from his boot. Zap curled up on the end of his bed as best she could, licking the sole of his boot. He must have stepped in something tasty.

He felt comforted by his father's words. If he said he'd be chief one day, regardless what other leaders out there might think, then become chief one day he would. If there was one thing he'd learned to do the last year and a half, it was trust his father. He pulled out his leather strap necklace and brushed a thumb across the necklace's worn edge. Fortis still held a lot of meaning for him; even more meaning since he'd returned home. He was pleasantly surprised how satisfying it felt to look around and help others rather than focus on himself.

Of course, he still had a long way to go. He wasn't Benen by any stretch of the imagination. He still needed to learn how to be humble and kind and patient. He needed to learn how to hold his tongue more often. But one day, he resolved, he would be strong just like his best friend, Benen. Just like his father, Hiccup. They were his role models, and more and more each day he wanted to be just like them.

* * *

A thin finger poked Hiccup's arm at gods knew what time and he groaned, looking up at his wife through bleary eyes. He felt like Toothless was sitting on his chest.

"Hey," Astrid smiled. "It's almost nine. Are you going to your meeting?"

Hiccup frowned, rubbing his face. He'd gone to bed around ten thirty with Astrid. So why was he _this_ tired at almost nine? Usually that much sleep left him feeling rejuvenated. Finally, he sighed and sat up. "Yeah."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Really tired," Hiccup yawned. "Guess that dragon racing wore me out more than I thought."

"Probably," Astrid smiled, strapping on his prosthetic. "I'll go on ahead and hold them for another ten minutes."

Hiccup stood, pecking her lips. "Thanks, babe."

"See you there."

The chief quickly got dressed, ignoring the slight pain in his left bicep when he pulled his shirt over his head, and tromped down the stairs. He ducked in and out of the washroom, toothbrush hanging out of his mouth as he poured himself some leftover coffee. It was lukewarm from Astrid making it a while before. He shrugged indifferently. Cold coffee was better than no coffee. Worst case scenario, he'd grab a cup at the Great Hall.

Toothless stretched on his stone bed in the living room, giving a wide yawn. He walked over to his rider, dragging his tail. Hiccup replaced his toothbrush in the washroom and scratched his dragon's nose.

"Glad to see I'm not the only one sleepy today. Come on, let's get going. We can walk if you want though." Toothless stretched his wings when they walked outside. He gestured to the saddle and Hiccup nodded resolutely. "Flying it is then."

The chieftain and his dragon swooped over the village. Hiccup vaguely realized he poured coffee and didn't even touch it. He shrugged indifferently, resolving to grab some at the Great Hall after all. He definitely needed the wake up call.

Landing at the top of the stairs, Hiccup slid down and led the way inside. He grabbed a coffee from the drink stand and joined the rest of the council, who all sat chatting as they waited for his arrival.

"Morning sleepyhead!" Ruffnut wacked his left arm just under the duel injury.

Hiccup jerked back. "Hi Ruff."

"Alright?" Manny the Mad asked, only half concerned.

"Fine. Sorry I'm late," Hiccup said, taking his seat and ignoring Astrid's beady-eyed stare.

Mara waved a hand. "There's no rush, Hiccup. Why don't you eat something?"

"That's okay, I'll grab something on the way out." Hiccup said, turning to Fishlegs. "How is training at the Academy coming along?"

"Great! All the new recruits are handling their dragons and responsibilities well. There have been minimal injuries and damages this year so that's always a plus!"

"Great," Hiccup said. "Later I'll stop by so we can talk to them about flight patterns-"

"Flight patterns lessons is tomorrow," Astrid reminded him. "Saddle and pen care is today."

Hiccup frowned. "Oh." He shrugged, only mildly wondering how he'd forgotten that. They had the same schedule every week. "Okay then… um." He rubbed his eyes absently, then chuckled. "Sorry, what am I doing today? Does anyone know my schedule? Because I don't."

"We're supposed to check out the tunnel systems under the village," Snotlout said. "Make sure they're still stable."

"Oh that's right."

"You're sure you will be awake enough for that?" Horst asked in concern.

Hiccup waved a hand. "I've been down there a thousand times. I'll be fine.

* * *

He was most definitely _not_ fine.

Checking the tunnels all morning with Snotlout had been fine, really, except for his inability to think straight. Hiccup didn't know why he was so scatterbrained today. Maybe it had something to do with forgetting to eat breakfast three hours before, but he honestly couldn't care less about eating. He wasn't hungry and seemed to be gradually getting more irritable as the day when on. Finally, by quarter after noon, he roped a few men into helping Snotlout with the final tunnels.

Toothless swooped out of a tunnel and into the sunlight, momentarily blinding the chief. Hiccup blinked rapidly before regaining his sight. The village went fuzzy for a moment; Hiccup blinked and shook his head.

"Let's land somewhere, bud." Toothless growled in agreement and flew toward the Great Hall. A minute later Hiccup walked into the spacious building and swiped a cup of water from a passing tray, hoping it wasn't meant for any particular orders.

"Dad!"

Hiccup turned in time to see Finn passing by. He blinked at him unsurely. "What?"

Finn frowned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure? You look kinda pale."

Hiccup scowled. "I said-"

"You're fine!" Finn smiled. "Perfect, really. Anyway Gobber wanted me to let you know that your sword is sharpened. Do you want to pick it up or me bring it home?"

"Um…" Hiccup thought, a headache starting to bloom in his forehead. "I-I don't care, do whatever buddy."

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?"

Hiccup didn't reply; he simply turned and walked away. He didn't know what was wrong with him today. He plopped in the seat beside Fishlegs and muttered something along the lines of "I'm not here". He buried his face in his hands and tried to ignore the pounding behind his eyes, beating in time with his pulse.

"-cup? Hiccup!"

"What?" He finally demanded.

Fishlegs looked concerned, which only made him more annoyed. "You don't look good. I think you should go home."

Stubbornness flared in his chest and he gave his friend a bleak stare. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Hiccup, you're sick or someth-"

"I don't need assistance with anything, Fishlegs."

"That's not even what I said."

"Whatever, 'Legs. I've got stuff to do."

"Hiccup-"

The chief walked away without even realizing he'd contradicted himself. He couldn't find Toothless, so he simply marched out the door. Walking down the stairs was proving more difficult than usual. Either he suddenly had two feet and two prosthetics or the stairs kept changing positions on him.

Shaking his head, he forced himself to keep moving, determined to get where he needed to be. Except now he was walking into the village and he didn't actually know where he was going. Hiccup stood in the middle of the street at a complete loss. What was wrong with him?

His vision quaked, he felt his skin flush beneath his clothes like he was suddenly overheating. Hiccup grabbed onto a nearby barrel to keep himself steady. That's when the pain flared in his left arm.

Something was _very_ wrong.

Of course, nobody was in the street to help him out. Their chief could be dying and nobody had chased after him. Why did he have to be so stubborn? He looked around, willing the buildings to hold still for one second so he could find-

The leather shop. The boys. Horst.

Grappling with the walls, Hiccup gradually made his way toward the door and fumbled for the doorknob.

* * *

Erick heard the doorknob jiggle and turned to see the chief walk in. "Hey Hiccup!"

"Hi Chief!" Cliff yelled, stepping in from the back. "Whoa, you don't look so good. You okay?"

Hiccup stared at them blankly. "Horst…"

Erick watched horrified as Hiccup pitched forward, slamming into the nearest table. Horst lunged out of his seat to grab his shoulders and ease him to the ground. "Hiccup! What happened!"

Hiccup didn't respond, moaning against the floor and pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes. Horst looked up at Cliff. "Get Mara! NOW!"

Cliff bolted out the door without hesitation, the door nearly flying off its hinges. Horst still held Hiccup's shoulders tightly. "Hiccup, talk to me, what happened? Erick, get water!"

Erick stayed rooted to the spot, watching as the man he'd grown to love writhed on the floor in some kind of pain. He'd already seen horrific images like this in his life; it couldn't happen to Hiccup too, it couldn't-

Horst's soft, calm voice broke through the haze. "Erick." The young man flinched and Horst reinforced his request: "Please get some water."

Erick nodded and stumbled into the next room, quickly filling a cup with shaking hands. Water splashed on his arms and soaked his shirt sleeves, but he didn't care. He quickly returned and handed the cup to Horst, who brought the cup to the chief's lips.

"Hiccup, drink this."

A fist grabbed Horst by the shirt and pulled him closer, making Erick back away. Hiccup stared at the older man with intense eyes: "The duel…"

"What about it?" Horst asked.

"Something… on her blade."

"Oh gods," Erick whispered, pulling at his hair.

Horst ignored the blonde. "I hope you're wrong, chief. Drink this. Stay with me, Erick, he's going to be fine."

Just then the door burst back open and a flurry of people ran inside. Mara and Astrid knelt over the chief, instantly fussing and checking his vital signs. Erick could vaguely hear various councilmen demanding questions outside the shop and ordering guards to cover the perimeter and search all the streets. Erick's heart sank: that only meant one thing.

One way or another, someone had tried to kill the chief.

* * *

Fearless Finn nearly tore the Mara's door off its hinges when he arrived. The front room was filled to the brim with important people, but he looked over their faces in search of someone familiar.

"Inga!" Finn bolted through the crowd when he spotted the girl rush out of a room. He tried to look in before the curtain closed once more. "What happened?"

Inga didn't spare him a glance as she filled a syringe with a clear liquid. "He's got an infected wound on his arm."

"Infection?" Finn gasped. "But… they were just wrapping his arm up last night, it was fine!"

"I don't know, Finn. Something about a duel with Allie. Sorry, he needs this."

"What is that?" Finn asked, fear creeping into his voice.

Inga finally looked him in the eyes, her gaze sympathetic. "Pain killers." Then she pushed past the curtain and disappeared once more. A hand on his shoulder made the boy jump. Horst stood there, looking grim.

"He collapsed in my shop," The tall man said. "It all happened very fast."

Finn exhaled shakily. "I'd just talked to him in the Hall and he was acting weird. I kept asking if he was okay but…"

"He'll be okay, Finn."

"What if he won't be this time?" Finn asked worriedly. "People always say he always bounces back, but what if he doesn't this time?" He stared the councilman in the eyes unblinkingly. "An infection? What kind of infection?"

"Finn, there's no need to worry," Mara said as she moved swiftly out of the room, quickly washing her hands. The anxious chatter of conversation died down in the room as everyone focused on her words. "We caught it at a good time. I'll have it fixed up in no time and he'll be right as rain by Monday."

"No need to worry?" Finn asked sardonically. "It's been a matter of hours since he's gone from completely fine to practically deteriorating and you say he's fine?"

"Oh he's not fine, not by a long shot." Mara replied calmly. "To put it simply, your father doesn't get sick but when he does, his body fights it hard. That's why he's down for the count so quickly. But when we take care of this issue, I promise, he will be fine."

Horst stepped forward, resting a hand on Finn's shoulder. "When are you operating?"

"I'll be ready in five minutes. Inga!" Mara called. The dark-haired girl appeared within seconds. "Get me some cloths, a sharp knife, and these," she instructed, handing the girl a basket. "Be ready in five."

"Yes ma'am."

"Is he awake?" Finn asked quietly.

Mara finally faced him. "Barely. The pain killers make people-"

"Can I see him?"

"Of course. But be quick."

Finn instantly pushed his way into the room. His mom sat in a chair close to the bed, brushing his dad's hair off his forehead. Finn ground to a halt, fear seizing his limbs. Sweat dotted Hiccup's face, which was pale. His eyes were on Astrid's, but he looked like he might fall asleep in seconds. His leather armor had been removed so a wool shirt covered his upper body, but the sleeve had been cut away to expose the infected limb. Cotton wraps covered the area, but Finn knew the signs of infection when he saw them.

Astrid looked over, her face splotchy. "Finn. Come here."

Finn gulped, carefully walking forward. Hiccup shifted and weakly grabbed his arm. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not dying yet."

The teen choked back a laugh, but felt like he might cry at the same time. "I sure hope not. I'm not ready to take your place."

Hiccup gave him a weak smile. "Not true."

"Besides," Finn said quickly. "I couldn't find Anna on my way over so… you're not allowed to go anywhere."

Determination (and maybe some irritation) flashed across Hiccup's face. "I'm fine."

"Like I said earlier, you don't look fine."

"Finn," Hiccup said, reaching out to hold his wife's hand. "Just in case-"

He shook his head crazily. "Don't start that."

"Just in case, Finn, don't trust Allie."

"I don't trust her anyway, dad." Finn said quietly. "But you're going to be here so it doesn't matter right now."

Hiccup swallowed, closing his eyes like it hurt. "If she did this on purpose, it will matter."

"On purpose?" Finn asked.

Just then, Mara swished back into the room with Inga and another nurse on her heels. "All right, it's time."

"But-" Finn began.

"Hey," Hiccup squeezed his arm. "I'll see you in a few hours. Okay?"

Finn felt his throat constricting, but he nodded firmly. He wished he could hug him one last time, but knew his dad was in too much pain to try that. Astrid leaned down and kissed her husband soundly on the lips before quickly pulling back, releasing his hand and ushering her son out of the room. Finn allowed himself to be marched out, but felt a little dazed when they reentered the main room.

Astrid pulled him into a hug. "He'll be fine."

"I hope so." Finn pulled back, ignoring the hushed whispers around them. He wished the council would go away for once. He just wanted his family to have some closure for once. Even now, being chief didn't always have its perks. "You cleaned the wound out last night?"

"Yes," Astrid's face clouded over. "It wasn't infected."

"Must have been in the earliest stages to happen so fast then," Finn murmured. "He seemed really disoriented when I saw him last."

"Disoriented, dizzy, exhaustion, he didn't eat at all today," Astrid counted off on her fingers. She dropped her hands with a sigh. "I should have looked at it this morning."

"If you had, he still might have ended up here."

"Oh he would have," Astrid nodded. "It just wouldn't have been so… crazy."

Finn sighed. "I hope the whole village isn't freaking out."

"We'll give them an update when he's out of surgery." Astrid said. "But for now… Horst?" The man turned from his conversation and walked over. "Where's Erick?"

Horst sighed. "I told Cliff to take him home."

"All right," Astrid turned to Finn. "Would you talk to them? See if they're okay? Plus it will keep you occupied for the time being."

Finn instantly felt bad for his friends. "They saw it happen?"

"Cliff was the first to notice," Horst said. "Erick… he froze. Poor kid's already seen enough life and death situations. Seeing Hiccup collapse like that… Ah he'll be okay. I just worry for him; that's why I sent them home together."

Finn nodded. "Yeah, I'll go talk to them."

"Thanks."

"Send me a note if anything happens," Finn insisted before walking to the door. Astrid promised to do so and he quickly left, marching through the streets toward Cliff and Erick's little house. He finally reached the door and knocked. He heard footsteps on the other end before the door swung open, revealing Cliff.

"Finn!" Cliff nearly pulled him inside, instantly peppering him with questions. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"They're operating on his arm right now," Finn sighed, plopping on their small couch next to Erick, who sat still and quiet with his good knee drawn up to his chin. "It's infected."

"Infected from what?"

Finn quickly explained the situation, answering Cliff's questions and constantly glancing over at Erick. He still hadn't said a word or acknowledged his presence.

"But if the blade had been poisoned, he would've died a while ago!" Cliff said quickly. "It's been almost a week since the duel."

"She probably never cleans her weapons then. Not that I'm surprised." Finn frowned. "I don't know if it was intentional or not, but it's still a bad situation for all of us to be in."

"Yeah…" Cliff nodded. "Could we handle a war right now?"

Finn shrugged. "I doubt it will come to that but… my dad doesn't really talk about those kinds of resources with me. I trust we'd be okay. Hopefully."

"Yeah."

Their conversation dwindled. Finn looked at Erick once more, bothered at his constant silence. He looked at Cliff questioningly, who shrugged. "He hasn't said a word since we got here."

Finn carefully reached out and poked Erick's arm. The blond blinked once and finally turned to look at him, his usually bright eyes dull.

"You okay?" Finn asked softly.

Erick faced forward, a muscle in his jaw standing out. He swallowed hard and shifted on the couch. "Didn't hear you come in."

"It's okay." Finn thought carefully, unsure how to proceed. "Want to talk about it?"

Erick shook his head.

"All right. Okay if I stay though?"

The Larson boy looked slightly surprised at this question but he nodded. Finn glanced over at their little pantry.

"I'm going to make some tea." he said, feeling very awkward at his friend's silence. It was like he was intruding on something but he wasn't sure what it was. "Do you want some?"

Erick nodded. Finn got out three teabags and a kettle.

"Oh, I don't need any." Cliff said with a small shake of his head. "I have to talk to someone."

"Okay." Finn replied.

When Cliff left the room, Erick shifted slightly in his seat. "I'm sorry. I feel selfish freaking out over this." he said in a slightly choked voice.

Finn blinked, slightly surprised that he'd spoken. "Selfish how?" he asked as he placed the full kettle over the fire.

"He's your dad. But you're the one making tea for me." Erick turned away from him. "Sometimes I forget I'm the outsider."

"Don't be ridiculous." Finn scoffed slightly. "You're not an outsider. You're an honorary Haddock. You have every right to be distressed about this. Especially after..." he caught himself before he continued.

"After I lost my dad." Erick finished. "It's not like reminding me is going to make me cry my eyes out."

"Yeah." Finn nodded and turned to the tea kettle, wishing he could say something a bit more important. "Mara says he'll be fine by Monday. So you don't have to worry about losing him too."

Erick looked up at him. "You sure?"

"Mara's the best healer we've got. If she says dad'll be fine, he will be." Finn stated. "So please don't panic. And you know I'll panic if you do. We both know what'll happen next."

"Cliff will panic." Erick said with a tiny smile. "Now that's something we want to avoid."

"Unless we want him monologuing at us for hours on end, yes." Finn chuckled, pouring the tea into mugs and setting one down in front of his friend.

"Thanks, Finn." said Erick, taking a small sip of tea. "You're already my second favorite brother."

" _Second_ favorite?" Finn gasped dramatically. "You've only got four!"

"Five, actually. Don't forget Greg. Brothers in law count." Erick reminded him. "And I have to give Cliff the top spot. He's kind of like a lost puppy, he needs me and I need him."

"Sounds unhealthy. And shouldn't you put your blood related brothers first?"

"Gustav's great but he's also a decade and a half older than me. Nikolas is... _Nikolas_." Erick sighed.

"Well you're my top bro." Finn lightly punched his shoulder. "You're a lot more patient with Cliff than I could be. Although if you're counting me, wouldn't Anna be your sister?"

"Ah, no." Erick made a face. "Yeah, that doesn't quite work. Where is she, anyway?"

"Thor knows." Finn shrugged. "Probably has her tongue down Brandyn's throat somewhere."

"Eugh." Erick stuck his tongue out. "Please spare me the mental image."

"Yeah, will do." Finn took a sip of tea.

The boys were quiet for a while. Finn glanced at his friend and internally marveled at how much he'd changed in the last year and a half to be bantering with a boy he'd once described as a pansy. His eyes fell to Erick's prosthetic and the familiar guilt surged within him. Not once had Erick brought up Finn's involvement in the accident that had cost him his foot but the Haddock boy couldn't help but feel horrible about it. Some nights, he could still hear the screaming, not just from Erick but from Gustav and Magnus and Adrianna... it was enough to drive him crazy.

But despite how awful it had been, the fallout had started a friendship in the boys that felt natural. This was strange because Erick and Finn truly were opposites in almost every way. There was a reason the Larson boy had been so drawn to Adrianna. Both were deep thinkers, philosophers, intellectuals. Finn didn't like to sit around thinking about the world, he liked to go out and do things. But he'd come to appreciate Erick's quiet reflection and insightful advice that had saved Finn from many an embarrassing moment. Finn's ability to think on his feet had done the same for Erick.

As they drank their tea, it occurred to Finn that Erick would be invaluable if Hiccup died before he had gotten the proper training. Of course, Adrianna would be just as helpful for a lot of the same reasons but Erick had a way of thinking that would counteract Finn's likely stupidity in his early years. A tiny bit of the fear the Haddock boy felt concerning the possibility of Hiccup's untimely demise alleviated a bit. As long as he had his friends, Erick as well as Adrianna, Cliff, Inga, and Taryn, he'd be fine. Just fine.

* * *

Cliff had never been so nervous in his entire life.

Jogging through the village, his mind racing, he caught sight of a small bush of budding flowers and quickly picked the prettiest one he could find. He paused to admire it for a moment. It truly was a lovely flower.

Then he was racing through the village again. He finally caught sight of his intended target outside Mara's.

"Okay, buddy." Cliff mumbled to himself. "You can do this. You've been preparing for this for days." he took a deep breath and strolled over.

Morgan Sigmund was standing by herself, her arms crossed to ward against a chilly breeze that had blown through the village seconds before. Cliff took a deep breath and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hi." he squeaked when she turned her big, hazel eyes to rest on him. He cleared his throat. "Uhh hi." he repeated in a lower register.

"Hello." she said, looking slightly confused.

Hoo boy, this was going to be harder than he thought. The prettiest girl in the world standing before him, staring at him with a beautiful but confused expression. Cliff felt like his throat had swollen to twice its size.

"So hey, I was wondering... uhh..." Cliff gulped again and held up the flower. "You know, maybe we could go out sometime?"

Morgan stared at him, mouth slightly ajar. "What?"

"Well, I mean, Chief Hiccup is sick and I know he'll be okay and all but I just got to thinking that life is really short and precious and I shouldn't waste any time so I thought hey, what the heck, let's take a chance and ask out the girl I've had a crush on for a _super_ long time and oh gods, did I say crush?" Cliff gasped at the end of his ramble. "I meant I think you're cool and all. And uh... yeah."

"Oh." Morgan took the flower, staring down at it instead of him. "Well I... I appreciate the thought, I really do."

"Ah. Yeah. Is that good?" Cliff's heart was pounding and he suspected that his hands were trembling. _Gods_ , it was hard to be male. All this expectation to ask a girl out, it was exhausting!

"I'm sorry, Cliff." Morgan handed the flower back to him. " I don't want to lead you on. It's not you, it's just-"

"You're not interested." Cliff interrupted. He felt like his heart had dropped into his stomach. "I get it."

"No, really, you're a nice guy but I just don't think about you that way." Morgan truly _looked_ apologetic, which was a small comfort.

Cliff shook his head. He felt like burying his head in the sand on the beach. "Forget about it."

"Cliff, really, I'm sor-"

"No, please. Don't." the Smedley boy walked away before she could say another word.

As he walked through the small crowd, he spotted Cale, who seemed to be laughing at something Frey had said. Cliff wondered how on earth _Cale_ , the lying, cheating scumbag, had been good enough for Morgan when he, a guy who would _never_ do that to a girl, simply wasn't.

But there was one thing Cale had that Cliff didn't. Good looks. Could any girl _really_ be attracted to someone with wild, curly hair? Steel gray eyes that seemed to be a direct contrast to his goofy personality? A tall, gangly body that was _still_ growing? Cliff wasn't the sort of person to worry about his appearance but he'd been burned by three girls now. No first dates. No first kiss. So what was it about him that turned girls off to him?

Feeling a surge of frustration, he threw the flower on the ground and watched as a nearby Nadder trampled it. Maybe he wasn't meant to have a love story after all.

* * *

The surgery had been a success. Finn had smiled widely when he received the news by way of an overly exuberant Terrible Terror. If it weren't for the fact that Mara insisted on giving Hiccup a few hours to sleep it off, he would have bade Erick goodbye right away and gone to visit his father. But, once Hiccup was ready for visitors, Finn left the Erick and Cliff's place (Erick wanted to visit Hiccup a bit later) and strolled to the healer's house, his mind racing.

Even if Hiccup was fine, Finn would still be chief one day in the future. That meant there was a lot of training to do, meetings to attend, people to meet. It was completely overwhelming, which led him to his next mission.

Finn walked through the doors to the healer's house with mild trepidation, giving a wide berth to some women bustling passed with arms' full bandages. He watched them leave whilst running a nervous hand through his hair, before turning back toward the room where his father lay recovering. A few council members greeted him as they walked by, Gobber clapped him on the back with a grin, but he only gave them halfhearted smiles. He honestly couldn't understand what he was so nervous about. Just a few years ago he had been eager to help out with stuff, yearned for it even. But now he felt almost afraid to bring it up.

Finn scowled and shook his head, walking through the door marching up to his father with more confidence in his step. This was his dad, there was nothing to be worried or anxious about. There was no harm in asking a simple question. All he had to do was spit it out and wait for the response, whatever it might be.

And with just that thought, his confidence shriveled and his step faltered. He couldn't seriously expect a positive answer. Sure he'd been working hard as of late to do better around the house and be kind to people, but this? He couldn't honestly hope for his dad to have forgiven him so much in so little time. It would be a while before his dad let him-

Toothless perked from his seat beside Hiccup and bounded over, giving him a gummy smile. Finn patted the dragon's head, his eyes focused on his father. For someone who had been operated on a few hours before, Hiccup looked pretty good. His arm was bandaged and he seemed a bit tired but aside from that, there really didn't seem to be anything to worry about. Hiccup looked up from the book he was reading and stared at his son in surprise, his eyebrows nearly disappearing into his hairline.

"Finn?"

"Erm... H-hi. What's up dad?"

"Ah... Well, I just got out of surgery. Total success. Now I just have to rest for the next day or two."

Finn wanted to slap himself. He had gone to his dad, not the other way around. His inner tangent distracted him from his father's next question, so he shook his head. "What?"

Hiccup smiled in amusement. "I asked you what's going on? You look... flustered."

"Flustered? Me?"

"Yes. Shall I name you Finn the Flustered at your naming ceremony-"

"N-no dad, I Uhh... I don't think that would instill fear and respect into my fellow chiefs and adversaries one day."

His father chuckled as he placed his book on the nightstand. "No I don't suppose so." Hiccup straightened a bit in the bed, "So... what's going on?"

"Ah... Yeah..." Finn glanced from his father's piercing green gaze to random places around the room, wondering where this sudden fear and trepidation came from. He hadn't been afraid to practically spit the man's face, but now he couldn't ask a simple question?

His father's face finally clouded with concern. "Finn?" The teenager's gaze snapped back to meet his at last and he leaned forward. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because my usually boisterous boy has been standing here for nearly five minutes and hasn't said anything intriguing, frightening or downright insane yet." Hiccup smirked, "Seriously though, what is it? I'm not going to bite, did something happ-"

"Do you need help?" Finn blurted. His shoulders instantly tensed and he paused, waiting for the hammer to fall.

But his father's eyebrows only furrowed in confusion. "Help?"

"Yeah... Help, with umm... stuff? Ya know, hunting for Great Hall dinners, barn building... need me to wrangle a few Monstrous Nightmares for you?" Hiccup nodded with pursed lips, which only drove the boy to plow through more thoughts. "I-I mean, just because I'm bored and don't have anything to do and figured you probably have a lot to work on, not to mention not having a lot of free time, especially now you're recovering and will have to get back to everything after putting it off for so long..."

"Well," Hiccup patiently interrupted, a corner of his mouth rising at his son's still open mouth. "I _might_ have a couple things for you to do. Could use a smart head and strong hands. If you feel up to the challenge."

Finn sniffed. "I love a good challenge."

Hiccup smirked, "good. But first, one question: why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to help me? Not that I don't want the help, but this seems sudden. Were you really so scared I wouldn't make it?"

"No..." Finn shook his head, some nervousness welling up inside his chest again. He scratched his neck awkwardly. "No, I came myself. I umm... honestly I was a little bored, but then I thought about how you and mom have so much to do and not a lot of time to do all of it. But..." Finn shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I figured if I'm going to make you proud one day then I'd best get started. Not wait around for someone to bring the jobs to me. So... yeah."

Hiccup watched him with a blank face for a few quiet moments, arms still crossed. Finn felt like he was being weighed or studied.

"Okay." Hiccup finally replied in a soft voice. "I think you're ready for a little responsibility then."

"You're sure?" Finn asked. "Because you can say no, gods know I don't deserve it."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Just coming to me to ask what you could do to help us out, without prior asking, makes me proud and tells me you're more ready than you ever were. I love you, Finn, and I want you to succeed. I can only tell you're succeeding by the good things you do, and I'd say you're headed in the right direction."

A smile split Finn's face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Hiccup smiled proudly at his son. "I think it's time to start training you in the ways of chiefing. Which, believe me, is a lot less exciting than it sounds."

Finn shrugged. "I'm about as ready as I'll ever be."

Hiccup smirked. "Good. First why don't you check in with Snotlout and Gobber, see if there are any pressing matters you could help with. I'm sure they've got a growing list. Worst comes to worst, see Fishlegs."

"All right."

"One more thing," Hiccup said before he could leave the room. "How are Cliff and Erick?"

Finn winced. "I don't know about Cliff. He said he had to talk to someone before I could talk to him. And Erick... He's okay now. He was really quiet the last few hours. Made him some tea."

Hiccup sighed. "Poor kid."

"It's okay," Finn attempted to sound encouraging. "Once he sees how good you look, he'll be okay."

"I know. I just feel bad."

Finn shrugged. "It is what it is, I guess. What about Allie? Are you going to... bring it up?"

Hiccup shook his head. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Discuss it with the council once I'm back on my feet."

"Foot."

"Be quiet." Hiccup could hide the smile when Finn snickered. "All right, get out of here."

"Okay, see ya." Finn turned out of the room and quickly sought out Snotlout. The man looked relieved to have some assistance given the day's impromptu emergency. Finn's heart swelled in pride at the list of jobs to do, thankful his father trusted him so much to give him some _chiefing_ duties. And soon he'd start getting legitimate lessons! This is what he was meant to do someday; to take his father's place was the single most important thing he'd ever do in his life. And he couldn't wait to get started.


	4. Flying Sparks

Oh the things she did for other people.

It wasn't enough that she felt bloated and crampy from the moment she'd woken up that morning. Her boyfriend still wanted to keep their date on its normal schedule. Naturally. And no one could say no to Brandyn's deep blue eyes.

It was a while before the older boy finally let her go but Adrianna took the incredibly uncomfortable flight back to her home, hoping only to curl up with something hot on her abdomen and take a nap. She _hated_ this time of the month.

However, she was surprised to find her brother running out of the house the moment it came into view. Wondering what it was he wanted (and hoping it wasn't something that would cause her to exert any physical effort), she landed and dismounted.

"Where have you _been_?" Finn demanded the second her feet touched the ground.

Any other day, Adrianna wouldn't have felt snippy. Today, however, was a different story. "Why does it matter? Do you need to know my location every second of the day?"

"No, I..." Finn took a deep breath, which was something he'd taken to doing when he caught himself losing his temper. "Anna, dad collapsed today."

Adrianna felt like her heart had been dumped in a bucket of freezing water. "What?"

"He's okay." Finn assured her. "Stable. He'll be fine by Monday, Mara says."

"I have to go see him." Adrianna made a move to mount her dragon but Finn grabbed her elbow.

"No, he's fine. Mara says he needs rest. She won't let you in."

"I don't care." Adrianna cried, her heart racing. "I wasn't there and I should have been and I want to say I'm sor-"

"Anna, seriously!" Finn growled. "He's fine. Don't bug him. Just go in and take a rest. You look really tired."

Adrianna huffed but finally put her feet on the ground again. Lily looked at her concernedly and she gave her dragon a halfhearted smile.

"Go ahead to your pen, Lily." she whispered to the Monstrous Nightmare, giving her a kiss on the snout. "Be in soon, okay?"

Once Lily had waddled away, it seemed that no amount of heavy breathing could calm Finn down.

"We looked for you all day!" he snapped at her as they walked to the house. "You were _gone_! Anna, dad was _asking_ for you! You cannot just disappear like that!"

"I'm sorry I disappeared, okay?" Adrianna's chest was tight. She _hated_ the thought of her dad waiting to see her and her not showing up. "Really. I am. Brandyn just wanted some time together since it's almost his birthday!"

"If that tool dragged you all over the archipelago-"

"Since when are you so protective?"

Finn seemed temporarily speechless and, if possible, slightly embarrassed. "I... I'm not protective, I'm just... concerned."

"Well I make my own decisions." Adrianna snipped. "And I don't need you, Finn."

"You know what? Fine. Forgive me for caring about our _dad_." Finn held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'll just let you be all hormonal in peace."

Adrianna felt heat rising to her face, whether from annoyance at her brother's tone or the fact that he obviously knew tortures her body was putting her through she didn't know. Remembering that she'd left Lily still saddled up in her pen, she stomped back out the door. She dearly wanted to apologize to her dad. But at the same time, she trusted Finn's word that he was all right. So she went into the pen to tend to her dragon, sending a quick prayer that Hiccup would be okay and thanking the gods for a good day out with her boyfriend.

* * *

Monday came at last and with it came Hiccup's freedom from Mara's house. Several villagers had been to visit him when he arrived at home but Cliff and Erick weren't among them. Cliff because he had to work all day and Erick because he had caught a bug and was stuck at home until it passed.

Cliff liked finishing work at the end of a long day. It wasn't so much that he disliked his work but it was hard to release his excess energy while cooped up in a leather shop all day. By the time Horst bade him goodnight, the Smedley boy felt like he might explode.

And with Erick out for the count with the stomach flu, there was a lot more work and thus, a lot more stress on poor Cliff's attention span. Of course, it was better to go to work just fine than to listen to Erick occasional retching at home. Nothing ruined a good day more than vomiting his guts out. For this reason, Cliff was going to sleep at his parents' house until Erick recovered. And, for whatever reason, he simply didn't feel like paying Hiccup a visit today. Perhaps tomorrow when he was feeling better himself.

As the boy walked home, looking forward to a home cooked meal from his mother, he played what had happened with Morgan over in his head once more. _Why_ didn't she think of him in that way? Was it because he had grown so much that he could use Adrianna as an armrest? The wild curls he couldn't tame? His constant chatter? What was it that girls found so unattractive? These thoughts kept coming back in a nasty circle that just made him dizzy and more depressed. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he stared at his overly large feet as he walked.

Suddenly, he saw a second pair of feet in front of him. He stopped just short of stepping on them and looked up into the light blue eyes of Dana Sanders.

Cliff and Dana didn't know each other very well. The girl had a reputation for her promiscuity, most notably being caught doing gods knew what to Cale (and Cliff certainly didn't want to know). She also mercilessly mocked Adrianna and Inga whenever the opportunity arose. Needless to say, Cliff wasn't too keen on the girl and by the looks of things, she didn't much like him either.

"Cliff Smedley." she said with a smile that made Cliff's sense of unease skyrocket. "You know, you and I never talk. Isn't that a shame?"

Completely bewildered, Cliff stared at her in silence for a few tense seconds before responding. "Uhh I guess. Why, did you want to talk?"

Dana's small hand suddenly grasped Cliff's wrist far more tightly than he was expecting from a girl who stood an inch shorter than Adrianna. Before he could protest, she yanked him into an alley away from the prying eyes of the villagers. Cliff tripped over his feet trying to keep up with her, a detail he was surprised she didn't point out.

"So I saw you and Morgan the other day." Dana said in response to his unasked question. "Shame. You two would have worked if you had more experience."

"What?" Cliff asked, his mouth agape. This was _weird_.

"Well obviously Morgan is looking for a guy who knows how to please her." Cliff became suddenly aware of Dana's hands on his chest. He squirmed away from her touch, feeling extremely uncomfortable as she continued talking. "It's not your fault. No girl has been willing to give you the chance to practice." her hands had reached his stomach and were still moving downward.

"I'm... I'm not feeling comfortable with this." Cliff whimpered, his heart pounding in his ears. "Dana, I just want to-"

"Come on, Cliff, you're a guy." Dana let out a seductive laugh. "All guys want it. Just let me lead."

"We don't even know each other." Cliff turned his hip sideways and tried to wriggle out from his awkward position wedged between Dana and the wall behind him. His body wasn't cooperating. Frozen in shock, he continued to stare at her with wide eyes. "L-look, I'm good, thanks."

"I just thought I'd do you a favor." Dana whispered, getting on tiptoe so she could breathe in his ear. "You know, so you'll know what it's like to be with a woman. Since no one will have you."

Before Cliff could respond, he was silenced by her lips ferociously moving against his. His heart left his chest to pound in his ears, his body frozen in horror. Never in a hundred years would he ever have thought he would share his first kiss with Dana Sanders. But this could hardly be called a kiss. Taking advantage of his shock, Dana thrust her tongue through his parted lips.

Feeling returned to his body when he felt Dana's fingers caress a part of his body he definitely _didn't_ want her touching. He finally gripped her shoulders and pushed her backward.

"N-no, I don't want-"

"Oh come on, Cliff. Do you want to be a man or not?" Dana sounded irritated, a far cry from how she'd sounded a few seconds ago.

"Not like this." Cliff breathed, trying to slow his heart rate. "I don't want-"

"Shut up." Dana interrupted before slamming him against the wall again and fingering his belt. "This... is the only... chance... you'll ever get." she breathed between kisses. "Enjoy it."

"Stop." Cliff wailed, shoving her back again. "Just stop!"

Dana growled, finally obeying his desperate command. "Fine. I was just trying to do something nice." she abruptly turned from him and stomped away. Just when Cliff thought he might be able to move again, she turned her head to shout, "You can throw yourself at any girl from now to Ragnarok and none of them will ever have you! You might as well just die a virgin."

Cliff didn't realize he was holding his breath until the pressure built up too much in his chest. He exhaled heavily and gasped a few times, still reeling over what had just happened. It was like a cold fist had closed over his heart. He knew Dana was truly the worst sort of person to be telling him such things but he couldn't help but feel hopeless. She had said exactly the words he himself had dared not say aloud lest they become true.

It wasn't as if Cliff felt like he needed to have sex to feel complete. He knew there were other, more important, things to focus on in life. But to die alone? With no one to love him? He'd feared that plenty of times.

He was happy for Finn when he saw the Haddock boy bantering with Inga. He loved to see them together. And, of course, he lived for the moments Erick and Adrianna seemed to pick up on the obvious sparks flying between them. They had it together. They had someone to love.

And Cliff didn't.

Would sex with Dana have been the only contact he'd ever have with a woman? It was beginning to seem that way. Everyone around him was partnering up. But he felt lost, alone. No girl so much as looked at him that way. And maybe no girl ever would.

Cliff leaned forward slightly, trying to get rid of the sensation of Dana caressing his front. He felt violated by her wandering hands. It was a moment of stunned silence before he noticed tears silently dripping down his cheeks. Feeling embarrassed, he wiped his face and walked home as quickly as he could, his eyes fixed on the ground. Berk had never felt like such a terrifying place.

* * *

Inga marched through the woods at a steady pace. She inhaled a deep breath of air, finding she enjoyed the solace. Mara had insisted she take the rest of the day off. Had she argued? Absolutely (as in of course)! She never wanted to stop working. She found it distracted her from the stupidity of life's issues: mainly petty teenage drama and her own physical problems.

Mara called it a "seizure". They still weren't sure exactly what it was or what caused each episode. They seemed to be very sporadic. Fortunately, the last one had occurred almost a year ago. A few small seizures had come and gone here and there, but she was beginning to hope that they were truly gone. She didn't want to get her hopes up. A lot of her pent up stress resided in that very fact that, no matter the time of day or night, no matter what she could be doing, her body might uncontrollably seize at any moment.

Inga huffed in annoyance, shoving her bangs off her forehead in agitation. She hated feeling like this. None of her friends seemed to have this problem. The few people with strange or chronic health problems were elderly. Working at the healer's hut herself, she knew many of the village's varying needs. But no one had these seizures like she did.

No 13-year-old should have to deal with these things, she thought bitterly. Of course, she kept busy. She occupied herself at work as much as allowed, and thoughts strayed to _him_ a little more often than was desired. She told herself day in and day out how ridiculous it was, to like a boy at all, let alone _that_ boy. Not that she liked him. He'd certainly never give her a second glance anyway. No boy would once he found out about her physical ailments. It was just like Dana had said a while ago: nobody wants a girl who can't control her own body.

Of course, Inga knew she didn't need a boy to be happy. She was still pretty young. There would be plenty of time for that later, assuming anyone wanted her. Oftentimes Inga sat with a big group of people of varying ages, which meant he was almost always present, or at least nearby. She could always hear him laughing or goofing off. In reality, she hated his guts.

From Alton Brand to Mara to Erick Larson, everyone always thought it appropriate to tease her about him. If she didn't know any better, she'd think their parents had drawn up a contract upon her birth and they were secretly engaged for all the chit chat going around! It's not like they ever hung out. He was way out of her league, always busy and totally attractive. But he was also a big, stupid beast of a boy who was proud and always teased her when he _did_ take notice of her existence.

Inga frowned, pulling on her long hair. She couldn't believe this. She wasted so much time brooding over all these stupid, trivial things. She hated the guy anyway! What did she care? One day he'd find a nice girl and settle down, probably have a few kids, and she'd still be concocting medicines in the back of the healer hut.

Shoving a bush out of the way, Inga carefully picked her way through a thick grove of trees. She stepped over a decently sized rock and-

SLAM!

Inga screamed and backed into a tree trunk, staring up in horror at the battle axe protruding from the trunk she'd just been standing beside. She turned toward the clearing ready to shout at her assailant, anger bubbling in her chest. Her eyes widened in complete shock instead.

Speak of the devil. Fearless Finn.

The Haddock boy stood there with wide blue eyes and teeth clenched in an unspoken "oh my gods, I could have killed you" expression. But it wasn't his mere presence that had rendered her speechless. His bare arms and chest did that.

Having two little brothers and a head honcho for a father (not to mention all the boys in the village and working at the healer's), of course she'd seen a shirtless boy before. But she'd never seen Finn shirtless. From toned chest to strong core muscles, broad shoulders to cinched waist, the poor girl could only stand and stare in surprised shock.

That's when she noticed his mouth moving as he moved closer. Inga flushed, tearing her eyes from his sweaty, well-muscled skin.

"-sorry, I didn't hear you coming! Are you okay?" Finn carefully helped her to her feet as if she were fragile. A flare of anger ignited in her chest at the idea, but it was completely snuffed out at the sudden front row view of Fearless Finn's muscled form. She knew he was strong; he always had been after all. But… dang. She hadn't known he looked like _this_ under a shirt.

"-ga?"

"What?" Inga snapped, looking up to see his eyes searching hers worriedly.

Finn repeated himself slowly. "Are you okay?"

Her heart rate doubled. He'd never sounded so concerned for her before. Legitimate fear was in his eyes, perhaps due to the accident with Erick. He'd become a lot more sensitive to injuries the last year and a half. Aaaaand here he was, standing in front of her in all his shirtless, well-muscled glory and she couldn't think of anything to say. Finally, she jerked away from him and closed her eyes, trying to focus on something (ANYTHING) other than his affinity for hot qualities.

Her ire instantly returned. She was standing here gaping at the stupidhead when she should be tearing his arms off, tying him up like the bull he was, and dragging him into the village for his incompetence!

"You're SUCH an idiot, you know that?"

Finn blinked. Then a rogue smirk eased its way onto his face, effectively turning her insides to jelly. "Aaaand she's back. Welcome to the land of the liv-"

Inga, being a bit shorter than him (the big buffoon), threw her fist back and socked him right in his wide open diaphragm. Finn gasped and doubled over. "THAT'S for not paying attention to where you're throwing your weapons!" Inga cried, shaking out her hand. If her father hadn't taught her how to punch ages ago, she might've broken her hand on those abs.

Finn laughed halfway through his wheezing. "Dang girl, you've got a fist!"

"And that's another thing!" Inga screeched. "Why are you…" So _hot?_ Inga shook her head once to clear it. "Shirtless?"

"Umm it's almost seventy degrees out here," Finn said, standing and yanking his axe out of the tree. Inga watched in fascination when his bicep and shoulder muscles momentarily tightened. "What's your excuse?"

Inga blinked, glancing down at her sweater tied around her waist. She shrugged, "Alright, so I forgot you- it… _outside_ was hot. _Is_ hot. Ugh gods!"

Finn smirked and breathed an easy laugh. He turned and marched toward a stash of stuff nearby. Inga fought the blush on her face. Finn wasn't stupid and she'd almost just slipped up. He was not allowed to tease her like this. This was _ridiculous_.

Donning a scowl, Inga marched after him and ignored his curious look. "This is your crap?"

Finn snorted. "Yes, thank you. That is indeed my crap."

"It stinks."

"Sorry, it's kind of workout gear; it's not meant to smell good." Finn snatched a shirt off the ground and yanked it over his head. Unfortunately for her, it was a baggy, open-throated tunic. She internally groaned, wishing she could smash his brains in now for being so beautifully cruel.

"Well maybe you should wash it."

"If you hadn't noticed, we're a little walk away from my house. That would take half the day."

Inga rolled her eyes. "Where's Zap?"

"Workout zone," Finn said, waggling a finger around them. "Dragons don't do weapons, remember?"

"Is the sky blue, too?" Inga snarked.

"Not always."

"I suppose you're not always the sharpest knife in the drawer either then?"

"Ouch," Finn snickered, buckling a belt around his waist. He grabbed a satchel and slung it over his shoulder. "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

Inga shrugged. "Mara booted me. Told me to take the rest of the day off."

"Huh, sounds nice," Finn nodded, marching backwards toward the trees. "Wish all of our employers were so gracious. Speaking of, I left something at work so it was nice to see you, I'm sorry I almost… um… ya know, almost killed you. Ah…" He paused. "You won't… ya know… tell your dad about that will you?"

Inga smirked. If anyone could scare Fearless Finn, her daddy could. "For now."

"Oh, how gracious of you," Finn sighed. "Welp, I'll check ya later."

The teenager disappeared through the trees, leaving the Jorgenson girl standing alone in the clearing with a heap of smelly armor and weapons. She really _didn't_ want to spend another minute with the boy. She couldn't stand that infernal smirk and deep voice that dripped with sarcasm with nearly every comment. But even more, she didn't want to be alone in the woods. And if her parents found out, they'd _both_ get it. She glared at the pile of armor before stomping her foot once and running after him.

Inga caught up with him quickly. "Hey!" Finn glanced over his shoulder at her. "You can't just leave me alone in the woods!"

Finn snorted. "You were in alone in the woods long before I showed up."

" _I_ showed up! Don't act like the hero here!"

Smiling, Finn gave her a look. "Oh so you _don't_ need me to take you home-"

"I don't want you to take me home!" Inga cried indignantly.

"You said not to leave you alone in the woods."

"To which I said-"

"That makes you the damsel in distress in this story, sweetheart." Finn interrupted unabashedly.

Inga ground to a halt. "What was that now?"

"Which part?" Finn turned and walked backwards, a grin on his face. "The damsel in the distress or sweetheart?"

Inga stamped her foot with an indignant squeal.

"Well that's attractive."

"Hey! Come here so I can knock your lights out!"

"Not gonna happ-" Finn froze in place suddenly, which was lost on Inga.

"Oh it's happening, right here right-" Finn suddenly spun and pushed her behind a large boulder. "AH FIN-mph!" Inga panicked slightly when he closed his hand over her mouth.

"Shh!" Finn whispered from behind her. "Inga, hold still. Look."

Inga stilled, looking in the direction his other hand pointed. At first she didn't know what he was pointing at. All she saw were tree trunks and a big white and orange curtain- wait. Inga gasped when the large white wing moved and a massive dragon walked into view on its haunches. She pushed back into Finn's chest when the creature moved passed, stopping only a few times to sniff the air. It raised its head and roared once, the surrounding rocks and tree branches vibrating slightly.

"It's okay," Finn whispered faintly, carefully removing his hand from her mouth.

In truth, Inga wasn't afraid. But the thing was _huge_ and she'd never seen one before. Growing up around dragons taught her to stay on her toes, but if it hadn't been for Finn's instincts and survival skills, she might be dinner right now with all her previous squawking.

"What is it?" Inga asked, leaning forward.

"Typhoomerang," Finn murmured. "They used to live here when our parents were teens. Dad trained one once."

"This thing?" Inga whispered hoarsely.

Finn's mouth tilted in another smirk. "Dragon Conqueror, remember?"

"No kidding."

"…to be fair, it was a baby."

Inga turned a glare at him, then froze. Finn loomed just over her shoulder, his face mere inches from hers; this close, she could see the reddish stubble on his face and could practically count the freckles dotting his cheeks.

Finn's eyes met hers and stayed, unblinking. Inga couldn't breathe. She'd never been in this situation before. What should she do? Turn away? Wait for him to move away first? The longer he stared at her, the more awkward she felt. However, Inga saw him swallow hard just before he ducked his head and stepped out from behind her.

"It's gone," Finn said calmly. "We should get back to the village past the creek though. We don't want to upset him."

"Y-yeah," Inga nodded once. She walked passed Finn resolutely, unwilling to look in his big blue eyes again. She felt some comfort having him at her back though, especially with a monstrous dragon around somewhere. If anyone could protect her, it was Finn.

A surge of annoyance struck her heart again. She shouldn't need protection. She wanted to protect herself, by herself. But everyone on the island knew the rules concerning Inga Jorgenson: Keep an eye on her. She didn't want people to worry about her. She just wanted to be a kid with no worries. But life didn't work that way.

"All right." she trotted alongside the older boy, keeping in pace with him quite well considering their height difference. "I'll let you walk me back the village if you're a good boy."

Finn grinned at her. "Ooookay, whatever you say, Beauty."

" _Don't call me that_!"

Finn snickered. "All right. Your wish is my command."

"I wish you'd shut up."

"Aww come now." Finn stuck out his lower lip in an aggravatingly adorable way. "You wouldn't want to miss out on all my life's wisdom, would you?"

"What part of shut up don't you understand?" Inga snarked.

"Oh fine. I'll shut up." Finn mimed zipping his lips.

Once they got to the village, Inga nodded once to him before scampering off. Finn smirked at her retreating back. That girl was going to drive him crazy one day and he found that he rather liked it. As he walked past the forge, he noticed a light on. This was strange since Gobber usually was home at this time. So was Brandyn still there?

When he walked up to the door, he heard the older boy's voice.

"Don't you think I've _tried_?" he was saying in a frustrated tone. "It's not as easy as it looks!"

Finn pushed open the door. "Come on, Gobber, give the guy a br-"

Brandyn whipped around when Finn had walked in but, to Finn's utter confusion, Gobber wasn't there. In fact, no one was there.

"You all right, man?" Finn asked concernedly. "Who are you talking to?"

"Oh so I can't talk to myself without the third degree?" Brandyn snapped. "Just trying to think out loud."

"That's not what it sounded like." Finn furrowed his brow.

"Well that's what it was so get lost!" Brandyn shouted, grabbing his things and stomping out of the forge.

Finn watched him go in silence. Something about Brandyn's behavior was alarmingly familiar. He remembered stomping off to deal with his anger by himself. But what did Brandyn have to be angry about? And was he as far gone as Finn had been back then?

* * *

The next morning, Adrianna pounded down the stairs, still attempting to pin her hair up. Little Ava was a hair puller so she made it a habit not to make her long blonde hair accessible for the toddler. The Haddock girl simply _adored_ Ava but she didn't much like trying to untangle sticky fingers from her braid. According to Astrid, Adrianna used to yank on handfuls of her mother's hair and Stoick's beard when she was little. Maybe this was a sort of universal retribution.

By the time Adrianna was ready to get to work, everyone was usually out of the house. The girl loved being able to set her own work schedule and sleep in when she wanted. The other babysitter on Berk, a girl in her twenties named Ellie, was a morning person, which meant the girls could meet up once a week and set up who would do which job depending on the time of the job and the preference and schedule of each girl in question. This meant Ellie got to finish up in the early afternoon and Adrianna could go until late at night and sleep all morning. It was perfect really. Well, perfect except for one thing.

Adrianna jumped when a loud knocking suddenly rang through the house. Putting her last pins in place, she rushed over to the door and opened it up.

Then she stopped and stared.

Someone was standing there, a large bouquet of flowers blocking his face. Adrianna giggled when he pulled the flowers down to reveal the light brown hair and dark blue eyes of her _very_ handsome boyfriend.

"Hey, babe." he said smoothly, making her knees go a bit weak.

"Hi." she breathed. "Gods, they're beautiful. What's the occasion?"

"No occasion." Brandyn leaned in and kissed her chastely on the lips. "Nothing wrong with showering my girl in affection."

"Aww." Adrianna kissed him again, this time more passionately. "You're the best."

"Nothing is too good for my beautiful Adrianna." Brandyn grinned at her for a moment before handing her the flowers. "I wish I could stay but I can't. Lunch is almost over and it took me forever to pick all these. I hope they make you as happy as you make me."

"You can't stay?" Adrianna asked, feeling a wave of disappointment.

"We can meet up this evening." Brandyn offered.

"I'm with Ava until eleven."

"Ah. Okay. Well definitely sometime this week." Brandyn turned to walk away when he stopped in his tracks for a moment. He then turned around. "You know, I do have a little something more for you. Do you think you can meet me at the barn we kissed in during the next dragon race?"

"But that's in a week." Adrianna sighed. "We can't meet sooner?"

"I'm a busy guy. Aside from dinners, I'm pretty swamped. Just meet me there, Nani. You won't regret it." Brandyn blew her a kiss before walking down the hill to the village.

Adrianna's heart fluttered as she shut the door. Flowers from Brandyn and a surprise date? She might as well have been in Valhalla. Since when was he so affectionate?

It didn't take long for her to place the flowers in water and finish getting ready to leave. She didn't have to be at the Thorston's until two so she had a bit of time to kill until then. And she knew exactly how to spend it.

Her leather shop boys always had lunch at exactly noon. And when she had the time, that was her favorite place to be at that time. So she walked down the hill and into the village, expecting to see Erick and Cliff kidding around and cracking jokes about each other.

She was surprised when she got there and saw no one sitting outside the shop. That was strange. She pushed open the shop door and walked inside. Saddles hung on the far wall, the most extravagant ones on display. She was momentarily distracted by a lovely saddle with purple beads woven through it (Erick's work, she could tell), when she heard a small _thump_ inside the back room where her boys usually worked. She went back to investigate.

Cliff was sitting by himself, his eyes focused on his poorly constructed lunch on the table. This was _very_ odd. Cliff eat by himself? Sure, it would be totally normal if it were Erick but Cliff was not the sort of guy who liked to eat in a small office away from other people.

"Hey." Adrianna ventured, making Cliff jump.

"Oh! Hey! Didn't see you there." He attempted to smile and failed.

"Sorry for startling you. What's up? Why aren't you regaling Erick on your tales of past adventures or plans to build a house out of nothing but licorice?"

"I never planned to build a house out of licorice!" Cliff said almost indignantly. "Not that it's a bad idea. Actually it's pretty good. Wish I'd thought of it."

"What's up?" Adrianna sat down in Erick's chair. "Is Erick still sick?"

"Yeah." Cliff replied. "I mean he'll be fine. But he says he's still feeling bleh."

"Is that why you're upset?"

"Who said I was upset?" Cliff asked almost accusingly.

"No one." Adrianna replied quickly. "But you're not out looking for someone to talk to. That's a red flag right there."

"I used to be really quiet." Cliff huffed. "I can't be really quiet again?"

"Not in my experience, no." Adrianna smiled. "You talk a mile a minute. Cliff, seriously, what's wrong?"

Cliff sighed deeply and turned back to his lunch. "Nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing."

"You wouldn't understand." He growled in a surprisingly harsh tone. "I mean of all people, you _really_ wouldn't understand."

"Try me." Adrianna leaned in slightly. "I'm a good listener." Cliff shook his head. "Well I'm not leaving until you tell me."

"And you're going to annoy me as much as I'd annoy you if the roles were switched, is that it?" Cliff shook his head and turned to her. "Am I handsome?"

Adrianna was taken aback. This was not what she'd expected to hear. "Uhh…"

"Yeah. That's what I thought." Cliff turned back to his food. "I'm just uhh."

"No, it's a surprise you even asked that." Adrianna scooted her chair forward. She hated seeing her friend this down. "Of course you're handsome."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better. Because you're really sweet." Cliff gave her a half smile. "But you know I'm not."

"Where's this coming from?" Adrianna asked. "Please, just talk to me."

"I have crushes all the time." Cliff said slowly. "But girls don't like me. And yesterday, I… I had a… a conversation. With a girl. And she said none would. Like me, you know."

"What?" Adrianna wasn't sure if he was joking but the idea was simply ridiculous. "What girls is she talking about?"

Cliff shook his head, apparently overwhelmed with emotion. Adrianna scooted her chair forward so she could hug him from the side. The Smedley boy seemed to appreciate her affection and put his head atop hers.

"I'm sorry." he whimpered. "I've just been thinking about it. And I know I'm annoying. And I talk too much. I know you guys roll your eyes at me and smirk at each other behind my back. And I don't care when you do it because I know I'm a handful." he sniffed loudly. "So why would any girl love me like that when there are people out there like, you know, Finn, who is really good looking, and Erick, who is really smart? I'm neither of those things."

"Cliff, hey." Adrianna pulled back her head so she could look at him. "I love you. Maybe not in that way. But you're just talking about the things that make you _you_. You chatter all the time, so do I! And I'm not good looking. Gods, look at my mom. She's so tall and beautiful and I'm so short and awkward."

Cliff breathed a laugh. "And you have two guys completely in love with you."

"One guy."

"Oh come on, Anna!" Cliff spoke in an uncharacteristically harsh tone as he broke away from her. "If you haven't seen how Erick looks at you, if you haven't noticed him watching you from the leather shop as you walk around town, if you haven't caught him blushing when he realizes he's been staring at you when you're not looking, you're obviously not paying attention!"

"I..." Adrianna wanted to say _something_ but there didn't seem to be any words. "I just... what?"

"What girl looks at _me_ like that?" Cliff asked in the same harsh tone. "Look at me! I'm a... an overlarge twig with crazy hair and scary eyes and a personality so annoying that girls actually feel _sorry_ for me for being so undesirable!"

"I... I can't really help you!" Adrianna finally exclaimed. Cliff went silent, slightly surprised. "I wish I could. But I can't. It's not that you're not handsome or desirable. But it's not up to me to make other girls feel that way. Maybe you just haven't found her yet."

"No." Cliff sighed. "Maybe she doesn't exist."

"Cliff, come on-"

"Yeah, you can't imagine it. Him not being out there for you. Because of course you and Erick or heck, I'll be generous, you and Brandyn will end up together." Cliff ranted. "Tell me where she is, Anna. Tell me where the girl of my dreams is. Because no girl on Berk wants this. And frankly, I don't blame them."

"Oh Cliff, now listen to me, you big goofball." Adrianna said in a similarly sharp voice. "I don't want to hear that talk. Yes, you're single now. But that's okay. You don't go looking for the right person, the right person'll find you when you're out doing things you like. You don't think I met either Brandyn or Erick by moping around in the back room of the leather shop all day, do you?" Cliff shook his head. "No, I was traumatized and at the healer's when I met Erick and I almost drowned after I met Brandyn. Sometimes bad things happen so better things can follow. So come on, Cliff. You know better than that. You just need a little more time."

Cliff sniffed. "I don't know if time is going to fix this, Anna."

Adrianna nudged his shoulder. "Yeah it is. Just be you." she got out a handkerchief and handed it to him. "Now where's that goofy smile we all love?" Cliff gave her a withering gaze. "Well I'm not leaving without it."

"Stubborn."

"Haddock."

Cliff gave her a half smile. "Okay, fair enough."

"And there's my big goofball." Adrianna breathed a laugh. "Handsome goofball too."

"N'aww, you're just saying that." Cliff's smile widened but he shook his head. "But I'm afraid it's only going to be two guys chasing you, sis."

"As it should be." Adrianna nodded. "Love you, bro."

"Right back at ya." Cliff stood up and finally gave her a genuine smile. "Ahh come here."

Adrianna stood up and the two hugged each other rather tightly. Cliff loved Adrianna hugs. She really was like the sister he never had. And he truly did want to see her and Erick live happily ever after together.

But even after what she'd said, he still couldn't help but wonder if there truly was a happily ever after for him.

* * *

Dana Sanders didn't like being away from people. This was why she didn't like walking aimlessly through the woods. But when she had a _reason_ to, she didn't mind in the slightest.

She'd never met anyone quite like him. He was the sort of person you only met once in a lifetime. And Dana felt lucky to have him wrapped around her little finger. He was so smart, he was practically a genius and his ideas were fascinating. He was a passionate, dominant lover that made her weak at the knees no man ever could before. Dana didn't think she was the type to desire a commitment, not when there were so many men out there to have fun with, but if anyone could come close to making her commit, it was him.

There was, of course, a snag. They could only be together once a week because of his schedule. And because of his sniveling brat of a girlfriend. But they made the best of the time they had.

When she finally saw him, she breathed a sigh of relief. So he'd managed to shake that little whore he was dating. Good.

"Hey you." Dana said, walking up and putting her arms around his waist. _Gods_ he was sexy. "Long time, no see."

Brandyn Anderson grinned cheekily at her. "You saw me last week."

"Yeah but once a week is not enough." Dana sighed. "Aren't you going to do something about her?"

"I told you, I'm working on it." Brandyn grumbled. "And we're not here to talk about her."

"Aww, I just wanted to know where you've been." Dana moved her hands under his shirt and up his bare chest. "Though I don't have to worry about _her_ putting out."

"She will." Brandyn smirked. "I'm working on it."

"And if I were the crazy monogamous type, I'd be so jealous right now." Dana gave his chest a little squeeze. "Okay, what is it?"

"What's what?"

"Don't give me that." Dana huffed, pulling her hands out of his shirt and waiting for him to face her. She knew that look in his eye. She knew _everything_ about him. "What's up?"

"It's just been a bad week." Brandyn shrugged. "Berk's driving me _mad_."

"Look, if that little bimbo's getting clingy-"

Brandyn growled. " _Don't_ blow it, Dana!"

"That's not what you said last week."

"You know what I meant." Brandyn rolled his eyes. "I'll get this sorted out. I always get what I want in the end." he breathed a laugh. "I'm _not_ weak"

Dana leaned up so that he could feel her breath on his face. "Prove it." she whispered.

Brandyn's lips met hers. A second later, he felt her tongue poke through his parted lips and he returned the favor, basking in the moment and wishing it wouldn't have to end. But he wasn't going to let it go to waste. He was going to make the best of every second he had.


	5. Raw Emotions

"Come on, Mara!"

"No!"

"I'm _fine_ and everyone's going to be free so why not?"

"Hiccup, you had surgery!"

Astrid suppressed a smirk at her husband's constant begging. She supported him, of course, but watching him trying to argue his case with the healer was bringing her much needed entertainment. Mara would relent, she always did, but watching her fight Hiccup on this was too much fun after the craziness of the last week or so.

"I'm not exerting myself too much!" Hiccup was griping. "You said yourself that I was right as rain. Those were the exact words you used, Mara! Right as rain!"

"Not to go dragon racing!" Mara shot back.

"All the guys are doing it!"

Mara crossed her arms. "And if all the guys were jumping off the bridge to the arena, would you do it too?"

"Depends, are there dragons to catch us?"

"Hiccup!"

Astrid spotted a smile on Mara's face that she was desperately trying to keep down. Hiccup was clearly enjoying himself. The healer tossed a roll of gauze at him as an attempt to distract him from noticing her amusement.

"Whaaaaat?" he whined. "I've jumped off that bridge a few times in my crazy youth, it's not so bad when Toothless is there."

"You're _hopeless_." Mara shook her head, finally allowing herself to smile. "Well fine but if you die, I hope Finn is ready to take on your job."

"He's not allowed until he's 17." Hiccup waggled his finger in front of Mara annoyingly. "Or have you forgotten how old he is?"

"You're in a weird mood today." Mara said as she finished changing his bandage. "Eat some strange clams or something?"

"You're a strange clam."

Mara smacked him with her blanket, making him laugh.

"Hooligan women are so violent!" Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I guess they gotta be to deal with a crazy man like me as their supreme ruler."

"Thor have mercy." Astrid snorted. "The day you become supreme ruler is the day the world ends."

"Hey now!" Hiccup flashed her a cheesy grin. "I'm _your_ supreme ruler." he paused. "Wait, that came out wrong."

"Did you hit your head during that last dragon race?" Mara felt his forehead.

"Nah, I'm just messing with my 2 favorite protectors." Hiccup smiled fondly at them. "But seriously, I am fine. I think I can handle a dragon race."

"Well if you end up injuring yourself, I will constantly remind you of it until one of us dies." Mara patted his head and threw the excess rolls of gauze into her bag. "I guess you can go do your supreme ruler things."

"That I shall." Hiccup stood up and waved. "Thanks a million, Mara!"

"No problem but I'm charging extra for sarcasm next time!" Mara called.

Astrid put an arm around his waist as she led Hiccup out. "If everyone actually included a sarcasm charge, we Haddocks would be broke within an hour between the four of us."

"You know it." Hiccup put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "But hey, I got my dragon race. I can now make up for my tragic loss last time."

"Tragic, huh?" Astrid narrowed her eyes at him. "It was a Haddock victory, wasn't it?"

"Yes but it wasn't _my_ Haddock victory." Hiccup nudged her with his hip. "That's all that matters, you know."

"You're so modest." Astrid snarked. "Maybe Finn or Snotlout will let you win this time."

"Oh come on, I could sweep the floor with those two." Hiccup said, finally coming to the place he and Astrid had to part ways. "And when I win, I want yak steak!"

"We'll see." Astrid waved him off.

"With mashed potatoes and gravy in the shape of a smiley face!" Hiccup called as he walked away.

"Dream on, Haddock!" Astrid stuck her tongue out at him before turning away, snickering to herself. She turned and nearly ran headlong into Erick, who was clearly not paying attention to where he was going.

"Watch yourself, Larson." Astrid gently grasped his shoulders and moved him sideways so her path was clear.

"Sorry." Erick flashed her an awkward smile. "Lost in thought"

"Oh?" Astrid paused and walked backward a few steps so she could really look at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Erick shook his head. "Great, actually, just a little bored. I don't really have much to do today. Horst gave me the day off because we didn't have enough orders to justify keeping three people there. And Cliff's off gallivanting somewhere, collecting seashells at the beach or some such."

"Collecting seashells?" Astrid raised an eyebrow. "That's... odd."

"It's for Annie's birthday present. He's making her earrings and he keeps saying he needs two perfect specimens for, and I quote 'the greatest piece of jewelry she will ever feast her eyes on that will make others weep with joy when she wears them.'"

Astrid laughed. "He can't just say he wants them to look nice, can he?"

"And miss out on the opportunity to be melodramatic?" Erick shook his head with a smirk. "Impossible."

"No kidding." Astrid smiled. Erick was a bit closer to Hiccup than her, what with them both being amputees, but she was fond of the boy and could tell that something wasn't quite right in those teal eyes of his. "You sure you're okay?"

Erick sighed deeply. "Maybe... I don't know. I kind of feel like you're not the best person to talk to about this subject."

"How come?"

"Well... the subject is Annie." Erick winced as if expecting Astrid to shout at him.

"Seeing as I've known her for her entire life, I wouldn't rule me out just yet." Astrid patted Erick's back, leading him in the direction of a nearby bench.

"Don't you have stuff to do?"

"In a bit; I have some time to kill. Besides, I always have time for my kids, biological or not." Astrid sat down and waited for Erick to sit down next to her. "Did she say something?"

"No!" Erick shook his head. "I, um... well, it's kind of hard to put into words."

"Did she _do_ something?" Astrid felt a rising sense of unease. Her daughter had been a bit distant lately, which wasn't unusual for a teenage girl, but it was still a cause for concern.

"No. Not... not directly."

Astrid felt her patience slipping away. "Okay, Erick, I'm not Hiccup. I'm going to need a little more clarification."

"It's Brandyn, okay?" Erick blurted out. Astrid's eyebrows jumped. "I don't like Brandyn and I think she's crazy for staying with him when I... when there are other guys who... I just don't think he appreciates her."

"Oh." Astrid didn't quite meet his eye. It wasn't that she didn't like or approve of Brandyn, but something about him had always made her a bit uneasy. Maybe it was the fact that he and Adrianna were such different people and yet he still somehow still wanted to be with her. Maybe it was just how quickly they'd jumped into a relationship once he moved to Berk. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Perhaps Erick could shed some light on the subject. "What are you seeing?"

"All right..." Erick paused to take a breath, finally settling on the bench beside her. He seemed to have a lot on his mind. "Well, you know how Annie's really funny? And goofy? Not that she's smiling all the time, but when she is, she's just... I don't know, _her_."

"She's comfortable in her own skin," Astrid nodded.

"Exactly!" Erick exclaimed. "I don't see that with when she's with Brandyn. It's like she has to act a certain way to fit in. She did that with the popular girls before he came, but it seemed to get worse when they started dating. I guess I like her better when she isn't trying. When she's _her_."

Astrid pondered this for a moment. It wasn't like she made it a habit to check in on her daughter every time she sat with Brandyn's preferred group, but she certainly noticed how happy Adrianna was when she was with Taryn or Cliff. Even Erick brought out that bright smile. But was it really her place to make decisions like that in place of her daughter?

"I don't know, I wouldn't say she's completely faking her identity." Astrid commented. "She does like him a lot. She makes an effort to make him happy."

Erick made a face, like the idea made him want to vomit. "She could be more comfortable though. She doesn't hold back with me or Cliff."

"I see what you're saying but honestly, it's her decision who she spends her time with." Astrid shrugged. "I don't see it happening yet, but if she someday decides she doesn't like what she sees, she'll make her decision. She's a strong girl, Erick. A lot more than people give her credit for."

"I know she is." Astrid spotted a faraway look in the boy's eyes and she stifled a smile. She'd seen that look on Finn's face when he saw a pretty girl. Erick continued speaking, "But she's also... insecure."

Astrid nodded once. "She is."

"And maybe that has something to do with it." Erick frowned, staring at his knees. "I'm probably being paranoid, but we've been friends for a really long time so I care about her."

"I think you care about her a little _too_ much." Astrid nudged him. "Erick, you can open up about what you're feeling. I'm not going to tell Adri if you don't want me to. So... do you have feelings for her?"

Erick turned his head away from her. "I'm not sure I want to talk about this."

"I think you just answered my question."

"Well how can I not?" Erick blurted out. "She's funny and she's _so_ smart and pretty. Pretty smart, that is." The young man suddenly blushed, but plowed on without realizing he'd said the same thing twice. Astrid fought the grin merging onto her face. "We've known each other for years! I know her better than some people know their siblings, heck, probably better than _Finn_ knows her!" He waved his hands around in a way that reminded Astrid of how Hiccup tended to talk while emotional. "I know I'm not really all that much of a catch and we've had to kind of restart. But we've had no rifts in our friendship in a while and all those feelings from that Snoggletog when we kissed just came back with reinforcements."

Astrid thought she would feel uncomfortable listening to a boy describe his feelings for her daughter. She wasn't Hiccup, but she did feel a strong urge to protect Adrianna from harm, as any mother should. But Erick was different. The way he spoke about her wasn't the way Finn used to talk about Helga or how Snotlout would talk about any girl that caught his eye back when they were teenagers. It was more like the sparkle in Hiccup's eye when he spotted her across the room, the way his face lit up as she approached. Almost like he felt unworthy to call himself her husband. And perhaps Erick felt the same unworthiness.

"Erick, honey..." Astrid weighed her words carefully. "Adri is almost seventeen. She's certainly not thinking about marriage or children or a little house with a picket fence right now. Those things will come, as much as Hiccup denies it. Teens make decisions, some of them stupid. I seem to remember that you were going through a lot at her age." Her eyes flitted to Erick's arms, which were covered by his sleeves. She saw the boy fidget a bit; the scars from his cutting were faded but they were still visible if she knew where to look. "If Brandyn isn't the right guy, the relationship will end. Who knows? Maybe she'll give you a chance next."

"I don't see any end in sight." Erick mumbled.

"Oh, you never know what'll set them off. Sometimes a couple is fine one minute and broken up the next. Believe me, I know." She wasn't about to get into the sordid tale of her and Hiccup's near divorce, but she sensed that Erick already knew she was thinking about it. "Just wait it out. We'll see what happens."

"Yeah." Erick agreed. "You're not going to tell her about this, are you?"

"No." Astrid let out a small laugh and gave him a side hug. "Adri can wait until you're ready to tell her what you feel. Okay if I tell Hiccup though?"

"If you think it'll help." Erick shrugged. "But not Finn."

"Oh no." Astrid squeezed his shoulder. "Definitely not." She paused for a second, thinking carefully. "You know, I think Adri has the day off today too. Brandyn's at the forge until late; Gobber got a ton of orders from the hunters. You should invite her to do something. As friends. For old time's sake."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely. Seriously, she'll be bored out of her mind. I'm pretty sure she's in the library seeking out a book she hasn't read five times." Astrid patted his back. "Go, sweep her off her feet."

"I... you know what? I will." Erick stood up, a determined expression on his face. "Thanks, Astrid."

"You're very welcome. You're welcome to stay for dinner, though I doubt you'll want to. It's Hiccup's night to cook."

Erick made a face. Hiccup was a man of many talents but cooking was not one of them. But both Astrid and Finn had made up their minds that he should learn to do more than the simple things Stoick had taught him.

"I guess I'll wing it. See what Annie wants to do. See you later!"

"Bye!" Astrid watched the young man go from the bench, an extra bounce in his step that wasn't hindered by his stump. She finally stood and made her way toward the village square, pondering their conversation as she went. Just as she turned the corner and reached the bustling crowd, a thought struck her.

What if Erick's concern didn't lie with Adrianna at all? What if his real worry was with Brandyn? Astrid sighed in frustration, wishing she'd thought to ask what specifically he didn't like about Brandyn. The boy very clearly cared about her daughter, and the problems he'd mentioned concerning her were very normal concerns. Of course, the Larson boy could merely be jealous of Brandyn, which would also be normal.

But Erick was smart and could see right through most problems. He thought hard about things before speaking up, just like a strategist would. This is why Hiccup valued his opinion, even though he wasn't even on the council. After a mere day of joining Finn's old gang and turning the tables in such a short amount of time, it became very obvious that Erick could be a valuable asset.

So, if there was any serious problem at all, what was he seeing? And better yet, should she and Hiccup be concerned? She sorely hoped not.

* * *

Erick finally reached the library and stepped inside, happy to have a respite from the sun's heat. The smell of old, leather-bound books filled his nose and he sighed contentedly. He always forgot how much he enjoyed the smell.

He walked among the rows of bookshelves in search for his fellow blonde friend. At long last, he found her seated at a table with her back toward him, a large pile of books beside her. Matilda sat at her desk beyond the table and looked up in surprise when he silently walked in.

Erick swept a finger to his lips and crept up behind the unsuspecting Haddock girl. Stifling a grin, he reached around and covered her eyes with his hands, nearly laughing when she squealed in surprise.

"Oh boy…" Adrianna straightened and rested her hands across his fingers, carefully feeling his skin to identify him. Because Matilda was watching with an amused grin, Erick had to fight the blush threatening to cover his face. There wasn't anything romantic in her touch, so why was he acting like a fool?

"Hm…" Adrianna mused, her hands sliding up his wrists. Erick bit his lip anxiously, trying not to fidget. "Not beast hands, so not Finn. Matilda, yae or nae?"

Matilda giggled beneath her hand. "Oh, I'm not saying."

"Tell meeeeeeee…" Adrianna whined. She felt Erick's hands again. "Okay… I'm going to state the obvious: Brandyn?"

Erick felt a pang. He frowned at her, almost giving himself away with an adamant "NO."

Matilda gave him a sympathetic smile. "No."

"Okay…" Adrianna said. "Cliff wouldn't be able to stay quiet this long, so that only leaves one person. Wait no, two! …is it my dad?"

Erick deflated, his hands slipping down her eyes a little. "Really?"

Adrianna slapped his arms down. "What? I save the best for last!"

"Uh huh," Erick gave her a mocking frown before plopping in a chair a few feet away from her and snatched a book off the pile. He promptly stuffed his face inside the pages.

"Oh come on, don't be like that!"

"I'm so high on your list of favorites! Excuse me for being mopey!" Erick scowled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need time to lick my wounds."

"Get your butt over here. It will take less time if I lick 'em!"

Erick fought the smirk rising to his face, especially when Matilda burst into laughter. He grappled for a snappy comeback. "No, that's just… extremely awkward."

Adrianna grinned. "Hey, that one's on you."

"Yeah well you had to go and make it awkward."

"Only awkward if you make it awkward!"

Erick shook his head, ignoring all the thoughts running through his mind, not deeming any of them appropriate given the current situation. This was a landfill of traps that he'd surely regret later if he wasn't careful!

"I'm taking an oath of silence. Shut up and read your book, Haddock."

"Fine! Quiet game," Adrianna challenged. "Let's see who can mope the longest!"

"SH!"

Adrianna promptly turned to her book. Erick stole a quick glance at her out the corner of his eye, quickly turning back when he saw her eyes leave the page. He forced his expression to go numb and careless. But inside his stomach was tying in knots.

Was he just flirting with her? Did all that qualify as flirting? Would Brandyn be punching his lights out right now if he'd been here? Or would the guys be teasing him relentlessly?

Nervously, he glanced up at Matilda. The woman sat there with a serene smile on her face as she watched the young people, clearly ignoring her paperwork in fear of missing something. She caught Erick's eye and winked, causing him to duck his head back down and fight a blush once more.

This had been a running thing with them since they were little kids. The Quiet Game would be played for hours in the library; they'd eat up books and Matilda would eventually ask a question, but would be promptly ignored. Not out of rudeness of course, but out of the stubbornness of the child dying to win.

They still weren't sure who was the "crowned victor".

Eventually they'd be found by their parents and their silent spells would be broken. But even as young adults they'd fall into the same routine as if nothing had changed.

A lot had changed for sure. Erick kept rereading the same lines, trying to immerse himself into the pages but found he couldn't concentrate. His thoughts kept straying to Adrianna. Carefully he lifted his eyes to look at her once more.

Her hair was half down today, cascading off her shoulders in waves from a previous braid. A few bobby pins kept the shorter layers tied at the back of her head. He didn't know why, but the older he got the more he loved her hair. There would come a time when Brandyn made a comment to her about cutting her hair and he thought he might internally combust, almost like someone had asked him to cut off his fingers. He simply couldn't image life without it and it just made _sense_ for it to be there.

He had five fingers on each hand. Adrianna had long, beautiful hair. That's simply how it was meant to be and screw anyone (especially Brandyn) who might think otherwise.

Adrianna suddenly turned her eyes toward him. Erick's eyes darted back to the book. He fought another blush, embarrassed. Was he too obvious? She couldn't seriously be oblivious to just how crazy she made him feel every day. Everyone else saw it. Heck, even Brandyn saw it! So why didn't she?

Erick's heart plunked down to his shoe. Maybe she did see it and it just wasn't meant to be. They'd been friends since they were little kids. Maybe she saw him as a brother, like Cliff. Maybe the idea of having any romantic interest in him repulsed her!

He didn't know. Suddenly he didn't want to know. If it came down to that, he'd be so completely crushed, he didn't know what he'd do. How could he get over someone he'd loved for most of his life?

Erick was so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't notice anything out of place. That is, until something snapped him in the face right below his right eye.

"OW!" He pulled back and stared at the rubber band lying on the table.

Adrianna pumped her fists in the air. "I WIN!"

Erick glared at her, rubbing his cheekbone. "Did not!"

"I so did!"

"You cheated!"

"There is no cheating!"

"If you remember, we decided that there was to be no interfering! No tickling, no stupid faces or eye contact or throwing books at people to make them lose!" Erick argued, ignoring her (gorgeous) grin. "The roof! We said the roof would fall down and we still couldn't sacrifice the win!"

"Rules change, Larson!" Adrianna sniffed. "Time to leave the past in the past."

"Rules are important and are vital to society!"

Adrianna shook her head back and forth. "Well I'mma take your rules and stick 'em where the sun don't shine."

Erick gaped, ignoring Matilda's guffawed laughter. "No! You can't just stick nothing where the sun don't shine because the sun shines everywhere!"

Adrianna cupped her chin in her hands innocently. "Except at night."

Erick huffed. "Except your face."

Adrianna gasped and slapped his arm. Finally, Erick allowed himself to grin. He held up his palms when she sputtered.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"More like you just don't like to lose!"

Erick leaned forward. "Do you like to lose?"

"I wouldn't sacrifice your face on it!"

Sitting back in his seat, Erick snorted. "Nothing special about my face."

Adrianna frowned. "Everybody's face is special!"

"Wow, now I fit into the general blah demographic of just people. Thanks." Erick drawled.

The girl rolled her eyes and made a face at Matilda. "Some people just can't be happy."

Erick leaned back in his chair, hands cupping the back of his head. "Some people just can't- GYAH!" He launched forward to keep from falling backwards when Adrianna pushed his leg back further, threatening to topple him. Once he was fully on the floor again, he glared at her.

Adrianna's unrestrained laughter echoed through the library. Erick fought his emotions, drinking in the sound and forcing the glare. "You… you should've seen your face!"

"Why would you do that! I could've died!"

Adrianna wiped her eyes. "Oh my gods, that was the single most best choice I've ever made in my life."

"Single most best choice, eh?" Erick whistled. "Matilda, we need to look under the G section for a book on grammar-"

"Stop it!" Adrianna slapped his arm.

"Stop hurting me!"

"Stop sassing me!"

"Oh gods, stop killing me with all this cute!" Matilda gushed from her desk.

Erick instantly pulled back. Yup. Definitely flirting. He awkwardly scratched his neck, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable and exposed and afraid to look his friend in the eye.

Adrianna cleared her throat. "Want to take a walk?"

"Walk? Sure! Yeah, walking is good." Erick bumbled as he stood, pushing his chair in and generally avoiding eye contact.

Matilda chuckled as the two teenagers walked toward the door. "Have fun!"

Erick marched after Adrianna, muttering "be cool" under his breath.

"What?" Adrianna asked curiously.

"Nothing." Erick stepped around her and pulled the door open, waving her forward. The girl ducked her head in a sheepish smile before stepping outside. Erick bit his lip and exhaled slowly before following, not sure what exactly he was doing and hoping he wasn't doing anything stupid he'd regret later.

* * *

Adrianna hadn't felt so lightweight and carefree in a long time. There wasn't any particular reason for that; she loved her life and things seemed to be going well across the board. But Erick's random appearance at the library had spurned a sense of ease and comfort that she hadn't felt in a long time. Spending time with him alone was refreshing.

The blonde duo moseyed through the streets at an aimless pace, talking about every random thing that came to mind. Brandyn told her ages ago that she talked too fast, too much, and jumped from topic to topic way too easily. Apparently it was annoying and hard to follow her train of thought. She'd had to work on her lack of focus for his sake.

Erick never missed a beat. He shifted conversation easily; his go-with-the-flow, carefree personality melded with hers so perfectly that the random spurts of conversation or bouts of excitement didn't faze him in the least. She wondered if that was due to their 12-year-old friendship. They knew each other better than most people after all.

Along the way, Adrianna noticed something else. She'd always been known to not pay attention where she was walking as she talked; she couldn't multitask in its basest form apparently. With Erick at her side though, she found she was running into things a lot less.

Apparently Erick would gently touch her arm or back and steer her in a general direction while she talked to avoid any oncoming collisions with people or dragons or barrels or boxes or whatever. He never interrupted; he never made a big deal of it. He simply did it!

Brandyn had called her a klutz a fair few times, and not always in a teasing way. Erick had been calling her a dork early on in their lives and to this day, he still would mutter the word under his breath with a twinkle in his eye.

It was at times like these that Adrianna didn't know what to think about her best friend.

"-so I said to her that we need to make sure to let the kids play outside sometimes too because children need to get some sunlight! No children should be stuck indoors all the time, I mean it's just good for them to get some fresh air!" Adrianna ranted.

"Yeah," Erick nodded in agreement.

"It took some prodding but _eventually_ they allowed me to start taking their kids outside. They still have to wear their hats and bonnets, which is fine, we can negotiate on it just fine, but it just seems silly that some people are so afraid of the outside!" Adrianna huffed.

Erick snickered. "It's like the time I took my niece and nephew outside to play and they started whining at me." He donned a childish expression and whined, "It's dirty out here! And windy! Why do we have to come out here, it's so yucky!" Adrianna burst into laughter. "Why didn't you sweep the grass first, I don't like it! WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE OUT HERE?"

"Stop! Stop!" Adrianna cried through her laughter. Erick cracked up beside her, bumping her with his shoulder playfully. She made a face up at him, but felt a strange excitement in her chest when she saw the dimples on his face. Gods, she adored his dimpled smile.

Adrianna faltered momentarily. Where had that thought come from? She thought further and realized, yes, she did love his dimpled smile. There was nothing wrong with that was there? She'd known him for years and years, long before she'd met Brandyn. So no. There was simply nothing wrong or irrational with loving her best friend's dimpled smile.

Even if it did make her brain short circuit a bit. Nothing wrong _at all_.

"You're such a dork." Adrianna said resolutely.

"Your dork." Erick smirked.

Another pitter patter in her chest, but still she nodded. "Yes. Wait."

Erick stopped a step in front of her. "What?"

"How did we end up out here?"

Erick looked around in surprise and she suspected she looked the same. They were in the middle of the woods.

"Huh…" Erick turned to look back the way they'd come, which was overgrown with weeds and wild flowers and rotting trees that had fallen years before.

"Why's this familiar?" Adrianna asked, spinning in a circle. "It's almost like…"

Erick gasped suddenly. "Oh! Troll Bridge!"

Adrianna's mouth fell open. "Oh my… we totally…?"

"Left all civilization behind to visit our personal getaway?" Erick smiled knowingly.

Adrianna hid a giddy smile. "We haven't come out here in… too long."

"Well, let's see what we can find!" Erick turned and led the way through the overgrown weeds.

Adrianna followed him with an excited bounce in her step. They paused when they came across a rather large fallen tree in the center of their path.

"Aw…" The girl frowned sadly.

"No worries." Erick reassured her, swinging his left leg over and hopping over. His prosthetic caught for a moment, making him almost stumble, but he quickly recovered and held out a hand to her.

Adrianna took his hand and carefully climbed over. "Is it hard to walk in this terrain? Since you can't feel the ground?"

Erick winced. "A little. Mostly because I can't tell if I'm caught on a weed or something." He reached down and yanked off a handful of clotted grass for emphasis. "But on the roads I'm fine."

"Except on hills," Adrianna teased.

"Hey, we agreed never to talk about that." Erick wagged a finger at her and pressed on.

Adrianna giggled and followed after him. Soon enough they arrived: the woods opened up into a small clearing where an old wooden bridge led to a small cave. An even smaller creek slithered underneath the bridge, which was covered in a thick moss and broken twigs. Tall trees rose up around the clearing, fortifying their little rendezvous like a mystical fortress.

"Wow…" Erick murmured. "I thought it was a lot bigger."

Adrianna shrugged. "We were a lot smaller then." She stepped forward, stepping over a path of mushrooms growing across the moss. She stared at the creek and the bridge and the cave, remembering all the fun games and adventures they'd had in their time here. Long summer days were spent here from dawn until dusk. They'd even built a few snow forts a couple times!

A pang of nostalgia hit her square in the chest. Why did they have to grow up? Why had Erick lost his father so suddenly? Why had their friendship ended so quickly, harsh words exchanged and usual habits turned to memory? She was ever grateful that they'd been able to mend things. They'd started over and today was an obvious testament to how close they still were. How far they'd come and all they were willing to put aside to make their friendship more important. It was stronger now than it had been.

But they'd still lost precious time. She couldn't help but feel like they'd missed out on something in that time. A brief romance had budded that Snoggletog, right on his fifteenth birthday. But it had been snuffed out before it was given the chance to fully blossom.

"What are you thinking about?" Erick asked softly.

Adrianna briefly considered sharing her thoughts. But then she thought of Brandyn and cleared her head with a sigh. "Nothing." She stepped forward, wanting to check out the cave for old time's sake. She stepped onto the bridge and marched forward, when the sound of rotten wood snapping caught her attention.

"Annie!" Erick lunged forward and grabbed her waist just as her right foot slammed through the wood.

Adrianna yelped and clung onto his shoulders, trying to pull her leg out. It was stuck almost up to her calf muscle.

"Hold on! Hold on." Erick got a better grip on her waist and looked down. "Does it hurt?"

"No." Adrianna sighed, annoyed with herself. "I didn't even think about it-"

"Nah it's okay, we're good." Erick said. "Hold still." He shifted his weight and placed his prosthetic on more of the rotten wood beside her leg. He braced himself and slammed the metal into the wood, breaking more off.

Adrianna wiggled her foot around before finally pulling it out of the hole. "You shouldn't have done it that way. Your leg!"

Erick pulled her backwards toward the ground. "I'm fine."

"Yeah but you could've hurt yourself because of my stupid-" Adrianna froze when she looked up at him, realizing just how close they were standing.

Erick still had his arms around her waist; her one arm still wrapped around his shoulder and the other resting on his chest. They were so close she could feel his breath on her face and his heartbeat under his shirt.

He looked like a deer in torchlight. His eyes were full of nervousness, like he was afraid he was crossing a line, but they were also filled with something else. A look she couldn't identify. But the strange thing was… she wasn't uncomfortable with this. In fact… she didn't want to let go.

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Erick's gaze suddenly softened; his eyes swept across her features in a way that made her heart pound. That's when she realized what the look was: _longing_.

Erick reached up and skimmed his thumb against her cheek, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face. Adrianna's heart pounded when his gaze flickered to her lips, suddenly wondering if he was going to kiss her. She couldn't deny the warmth that spread through her at the thought.

Then, he bit his lip and looked down at the ground. Erick released her and swallowed hard. "We should get back to the village." He said it so quiet she almost didn't hear through the haze in her brain. Erick turned to walk away but she caught his arm.

"Wait."

Erick froze, looking back at her. He didn't move closer.

Adrianna swallowed her fear and held his arm in both hands, playing with the fabric. She tried to gather her thoughts, suddenly unsure what to say. Her entire mind had filled with new emotions, some buried and locked away from years ago.

"I should go." Erick whispered.

Adrianna looked up at him, hurt. "Why?"

His teal eyes met hers. She was surprised at how… dejected he suddenly looked. "Because you have a boyfriend."

She blinked. "But…"

"No." Erick gently pulled his arm away, looking at the creek instead of her. "There are no buts."

Adrianna suddenly felt very emotional. She wanted to figure this out. "Please don't hide from me."

Erick looked up at her, emotions bared. He looked at her like it physically hurt him to do so.

"I-I know there's Brandyn, but… there's something here and I don't want to sweep it under the rug like it's nothing." Adrianna stammered. "Your feelings are important too."

"This isn't about me." Erick said quietly. "It's you."

"No, not just me because back then, before we gave all _this_ up," Adrianna waved her hand around Troll Bridge. "We _had_ something. Both of us!" Erick looked toward the trees, ignoring eye contact. "I just want to know how you f-"

Erick suddenly turned, held her face in his hands, and pressed his mouth over hers. Adrianna's entire being froze, her thoughts, her body, everything. But when Erick pressed forward and kissed her again, warm and inviting, but carefully and so _lovingly_ , she melted.

Adrianna pushed her fingers into his wavy hair by his ears and kissed him back. He hummed, a short, pained, _needy_ sound as he threaded his fingers through her hair. She didn't understand how or why, but suddenly everything was him. It had always been him.

Erick was kind and compassionate; he was smart and wise; he cared about her for _her_ and there were no words that could explain it. She'd always known from the beginning.

Suddenly Erick pulled away with a tiny _pop_ , panting. "Stop. Stop."

Adrianna rested her forehead against his, her nose beside his. She swallowed, trying to regain some sort of thought. Finally, she settled on one. Her heart plummeted. She'd just _cheated_ on her boyfriend.

Erick shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry. I never should've looked for you today."

Adrianna frowned and swept some of his hair back. "It's ok-"

"No, it's _not_." Erick frowned. "I don't want to cause problems for you."

She swallowed hard, but strengthened her resolve. "I need to think about this."

Erick shook his head. "No."

"Yes, I do."

"Don't just go and dump him for me!" Erick exclaimed, pulling back a bit. "That's not fair to him or yourself! You've been dating almost two years!"

"No, I know…" Adrianna pressed her hands to her face. She sighed. "But I can't have both of you. And… can I be honest and say there are things about you that I care for more?"

Erick's eyes widened slightly but he shook his head. "I want you to do what _you_ want. Not me, not Brandyn. You. Neither of us guys should jerk you around like some play thing."

Adrianna thought back to Brandyn's request a few weeks back. She didn't want intimacy like he did. Erick would never force that on her; even if he wanted it, if she said no, she had no question that he would never bring it up again.

"We can't do this again," Erick said finally, breaking her silence.

Adrianna nodded.

"No matter how much we might want to, we _can't_." Erick said firmer. "Unless you decide what you want to do and things change. But… it'd probably be best if we didn't go places alone again."

Adrianna's heart sank, but knew he was right. They couldn't make a habit out of this until she made a decision. And she had to make a decision. "Can I get a hug? Or is that... not okay anymore?"

Erick's expression softened and he smiled slightly. "C'mere."

Adrianna stepped forward into his arms, burying her face in his neck like she always used to. Wrapped in his arms, she felt so calm and complete, like this was meant to be. Nobody could tell the future, but she could swear on her favorite book that this was _supposed_ to happen.

Just not yet.

Then, Erick bowed his head and gently kissed her forehead. "If he doesn't take care of you, I'll be the first one there."

Adrianna tightened her hold on him. "I know." She then pulled back, and fought the urge to kiss his cheek. She felt like they were saying goodbye.

Erick pursed his lips, swiped his thumb against her cheek one last time, then turned and strode away. He left her standing in the middle of Troll Bridge, their personal, childhood fairytale getaway. Adrianna waited for him to disappear around the bend before turning to face the bridge and cave, the entire place overrun with weeds. Everything looked the same as when they'd first arrived.

Except the gaping hole in the bridge, which felt as big and ominous as the hole in her heart.

* * *

The much anticipated game day had arrived. Adrianna awoke early and found herself unable to fall asleep again. It was just as well; the dragon race would take place in the morning and she had a date. A date she had with a guy she wasn't sure she even liked anymore. She took great care in picking out her outfit: a pretty green and white outfit she usually reserved for special occasions. Green wasn't really her color but Brandyn liked it so that was reason enough. If she was going to break up with him, she wanted to at least look nice while she did so. Show some effort that said that she _did_ care about him and his feelings. She slipped on a headband and marched downstairs for breakfast with a bounce in her step.

"You're up early." Finn said, raising an eyebrow. "And _cheerful_ , that's rare."

"Maybe I'm evolving, Finnegan." she smiled and scooped some eggs onto her plate. As she chewed, she hummed with contentment. "These are really good eggs. Can you show me how to make them?"

"I don't know, it's very complicated." Finn grandly gestured to the eggs simmering over the fire. "Watch as I scramble them. Look, scrambled eggs."

"Very funny." Adrianna rolled her eyes. "So, Fearless Finn, planning on destroying dad in the race?"

"Ohhhh he wishes." Hiccup chirped as he descended the staircase. "But there's just no competing against the Dragon Conqueror." Toothless made a coo of assent.

"You're forgetting though," Finn pointed a spatula at him, "I'm not pushing 40. Heck, I'm barely even pushing 20."

"All that may be true but I've got a few years of experience on you." Hiccup sat down at the table across from his daughter. "You're up early."

"That's what Finn said." Adrianna shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. I don't know, I just have more energy today."

"Okay then." Hiccup shrugged.

"Where's mom?" Finn asked as he shoveled some eggs onto his own plate.

"Helping set up." Hiccup said. "Better her than me. Gotta get my beauty sleep for the race, you know."

"Speaking of, why are you all dressed up?" Finn turned to his twin. "Going on a hot date?"

Adrianna felt heat rise to her face. "None of your business."

"Well now _I'm_ interested." Hiccup leaned forward, a twinkle of mischief in the bright green eyes she'd inherited. "You can't miss the race, Addie! You've got to see me snatch Finn's flag out from under him."

"You wish." Finn stuck his tongue out at Hiccup, who gave him an exasperated look in return.

"Yeah, real mature, F-"

"AH-ROOOOO!"

A scratching sound filled the kitchen as a big blue and green blur whipped by the window. A shrill whine followed.

"Come on, Zappy!" Finn called to his begging dragon. "We're still eating in here!"

"AH-ROOOOO!"

"Ahh, let her in." Hiccup scarfed up the last of his eggs before the Shockjaw could knock them off the table.

Adrianna only had a second to finish her eggs before Finn unleashed his dragon. Zap bounded around the table, getting directly in Adrianna's face just as the girl managed to swallow her breakfast.

"Aww, no more for you!" Adrianna scratched Zap's chin, making her thump her foot against the wood floor. "But it's okay, sweetie! I think your daddy has some yummy fishies to give you! Yes he does!"

"Come on, princess!" Finn opened a basket of fish and held a trout just over his head. "Time for breakfast! Go get it!"

He tossed the fish across the room, prompting the excited dragon to bound over and catch it in her mouth. He laughed at the satisfied expression on her face as she chewed on her treat before running forward for another fish. Lily, who was napping peacefully under the stairs, growled in irritation.

"Awww, Lily!" Adrianna hopped up and got on her knees in front of her dragon. "Is little sis bugging you?"

Lily gave her a withering look before flopping back down on the floor. Since Zap had entered their lives, the Monstrous Nightmare had been quite sullen. She and Thornado had gotten along quite well but Zap irritated her to no end. Perhaps it was the fact that they were both female and Zap wasn't keen on being the least important member of the pack. The dominance battles had been fierce, and, finally sick of the dragons howling at each other like dogs, Hiccup had separated their sleeping spaces. This seemed to solve the problem.

"Has Lily eaten?" Hiccup called from the table.

"Fed her this morning." Finn responded as he hurled another fish across the room for Zap.

"Well, you guys get ready for your race. I think I'm going to go." Adrianna said, giving her dragon one last pat before standing up. She and Lily usually took evening flights together because neither of them liked getting up early. "Have a great race!"

"Hey now," Hiccup stood up and trotted over to her with a mischievous smile on his face. "Is that any way to say goodbye to your dear old dad?"

"Well someone's affectionate this morning." Adrianna rolled her eyes but gave him a kiss on the cheek. To her surprise, Hiccup hugged her.

"I love you." he whispered into her ear. "Don't forget that."

Adrianna pulled away, fixing him with a confused expression. "Am I dying?"

"What? No!" Hiccup tittered. "Can't a father love his only daughter without the interrogation?"

"Not so suddenly." Adrianna snarked, feeling a rising sense of unease. Did Hiccup _know_ she was skipping out on the dragon race for a date?

"Well I do love you, Addie." Hiccup repeated, smiling fondly at her. "And I'm proud of you."

"You're _so_ sentimental." Finn stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Just let her leave!"

"One more word and I'll hug and kiss _you_ goodbye." Hiccup shot back.

Finn shrugged. "Okay. I like hugs."

"I'll just have to make it mushy gushy then and hug you in front of all your friends." Hiccup turned back to Adrianna and grinned. "He acts like this is such a shock; sometimes I wonder if he's got short term memory issues. Anyway, I think the moment is ruined."

"Pretty much." Adrianna breathed a laugh. "Well I'll see you after the race."

"See you." Hiccup let her go and patted her back. "Go on, get outta here."

Adrianna practically skipped down the path to the village, hoping she wouldn't run into Brandyn. But her boyfriend was nowhere to be found. Instead she found Ava running around the village square, pursued by Tuffnut.

"Nanna!" she shrieked, suddenly making a beeline for the teenager. Her little arms wrapped around one of Adrianna's legs.

"Aww hi, Ava." Adrianna attempted to pry the toddlers arms off her leg but it was no use. The little girl hid behind her babysitter, giggling loudly.

"Whaaat?" Tuffnut stopped in his tracks and exaggerated his movements as he searched everywhere but behind Adrianna. "Where did Ava go? Anna, have _you_ seen Ava?" he gasped loudly. "Has she been taken by trolls?"

Ava let out a giggle. Her fingers were pinching Adrianna's bare skin but the Haddock girl was quite used to this from many hours of babysitting.

"Ooh, did you hear that?" Tuffnut shouted. "That sounded a lot like her. Have you seen her? Now where could she be?"

"I don't know, Tuffnut." Adrianna said in loud voice so Ava could hear. "Maybe Belch took her away."

"Oh no!" Tuffnut yelped. "Now she could be _anywhere_ in the whole world!" he spread his arms out wide as if bragging about a giant fish he'd caught. "But I shall find her! True, it may take me ten, nay 20, nay 37 years but I shall find my little girl if it is the last thing I do!"

Adrianna couldn't help but laugh. She simply loved watching Tuffnut and Ava play together. Fatherhood really suited him. It was funny, Tuffnut wasn't known for his brains and certainly not for his ability to take care of anyone, let alone a tiny human being. Marrying Svala had changed him for the better but having Ava had made him into the man he was today. A gushy father, just as Hiccup had been.

"You know what, Tuffnut," Adrianna tried to walk forward but the toddler hanging on her leg made this difficult, "maybe she's closer than you think."

"Closer?" Tuffnut put his hands to his face in mock surprise. "Whatever do you mean, Miss Haddock? Are you perhaps harboring my only child as a fugitive? Well, my dear Haddock, justice will be served!" he ran around her and pointed dramatically at his little daughter. "Aha! And there she is! The scoundrel who escaped from me and sought out the enemy! I must find a way to counteract the horrible influence you have been on her!" Tuffnut put a hand to his forehead in an exaggerated dramatic gesture. "Oh but what to do? What kind of punishment can indicate the severity of her crime?" he put up a finger in triumph. "Ah, I may have one. But is it too cruel? Oh well. I shall give it a go. All right, Ava Grace, guess what time it is!" he approached her with wiggling fingers. She shrieked, a huge grin on her face. "Tickle time!"

Adrianna smiled fondly as Ava finally let go of her leg and tore down the path to the village. She heard the toddler scream when Tuffnut finally caught up with her. Those two were just so cute.

Traipsing down the path, she finally reached the village, which was already bustling with people setting up the arena for the dragon race. She spotted her mother marching through, ordering men twice her size to carry planks and get out bleachers. The funny thing was the men obeyed her without question. Adrianna wished she could do that. Yet another Hofferson gene she hadn't inherited.

She was just about to stop by the library when she spotted the barn door wide open. And inside the barn were the saddles the men would use for the race. Each saddle was clearly marked and all ready to go. And no one was guarding said barn. Now _this_ , Adrianna realized, was simply too good to resist.

The Haddock girl loved pulling pranks. Ever since the ones she'd pulled on Tarry and Allie nearly seven years ago, she would occasionally come across a situation such as this and sneakily mess with her friends and family. Her personal favorite had been to craft a small, fake spider and stick it on Hiccup's pants. It had taken until Hiccup was in the Great Hall for anyone to point out and it was satisfying to watch him shriek like a little girl and flail around before he realized it was fake. Despite his affinity for fire breathing lizards big enough to crush a human being, Hiccup was irrationally (and hilariously) terrified of spiders.

Adrianna tiptoed into the barn and set up what was going to be a very annoying (and very amusing) prank. It took her a little while to figure out how to cover her tracks but she sauntered out, looking as innocent as possible as she blended into the crowd. And just in time, she noted, as she saw Erick and Cliff walking to the barn together.

"Hey!" came a voice just behind her.

Adrianna jumped and whirled around. "Taryn!" she smiled widely and hugged her friend. "Where have you _been_? I haven't seen you around."

"My dad decided it was high time for some forced family fun and took us camping on the other side of Berk." Taryn rolled her eyes. "It didn't go so well. I don't think we Brands are cut out for camping."

"My mom's taken Finn out a few times." Adrianna shrugged, looking over in curiosity as her brother suddenly ran down the street with Zap on his heels. "But one week out with my dad was enough for me."

Taryn followed her gaze. "No kidding."

"So how's the popular crowd?" Adrianna quipped, facing her friend once more. She couldn't understand her brother anyway to figure what shenanigans he might be concocting.

"Oh please, I wouldn't call them popular. A clique maybe, but not popular." Taryn thought about it for a moment before continuing. "They're kinda…" She bobbed her head back and forth.

Adrianna snickered. "I understand the sentiment."

"Anyway, I'm going back to work on Monday and I'm definitely not looking forward to that. There was an incident at Gobber's and we have to stitch up his pants. _All_ of them."

"Well that was probably either my brother's or my boyfriend's work." Adrianna chuckled at the mental image of Finn blowing up a container with Gobber's pants in them.

"Knowing Finn, I believe it." Taryn nodded with an equally big smile. "So what are you doing here? Setting up the race?"

"Oh yeah, _these_ muscles were totally meant for carrying heavy objects." The Haddock girl shrugged. "Nothing really, I'm just moseying until I meet up with Brandyn. What about you?"

"Same; just wandering around. I'm so _bored_. Hey!" Taryn's face lit up. "Can I do your hair?"

"Oh my _gods_!" exclaimed a familiar voice. The girls turned to see Finn talking animatedly to Cliff and Erick outside the barn. Adrianna turned a shrug toward her friend, neither of them understanding what the boys were talking about from that distance.

That's when another female blonde ran up from behind Finn with a large bucket in her arms. Helga Ingerman lifted the bucket over Finn's head, giving him a short warning before dumping the bucket over his head.

Ice and cold water sloshed over Finn's face and drenched his shirt. "RAGHHHHH!" Finn jumped around, shaking the ice out of his shirt. "WHO- HELGA!" The blonde cackled and marched away proudly. Finn shook his head around, spraying the two boys and other standers-by. "Okay. Who wants a hug?"

Instantly the Haddock boy took off after Helga, who promptly screamed and ran away, throwing her bucket in a graceful flourish over her shoulder. "GET AWAY FROM ME FINN!"

Taryn and Adrianna watched the exchange in laughter, just as Erick and Cliff. Adrianna caught Erick's eye, giving him a warm smile. Erick shot her a short wink before looking away, sending her insides into a torrent of butterflies.

"Um…" Adrianna shook her head. "Dumb brother distracting me. Oh! My hair?"

"Yes!" Taryn exclaimed. "It's so gorgeous!"

"Oh please, I do nothing with it."

"Exactly why she wants to do something with it, blondie." The girls turned once again to see Inga striding toward them, a sure grin on her face.

"She's got a point!" Taryn grinned.

"At the same time, that's all it is with you; hair and makeup and nails." Inga sassed.

Of the three girls, she was definitely the least traditionally feminine and it was amusing to watch her gripe loudly before she'd let them play with her hair. And even though she never said it, they could tell that she liked it.

"It's not just that." Adrianna rolled her eyes. "It's also boys."

Inga sighed loudly. "Ugh."

"And books." Taryn added.

"And dragons."

"And whatever else we want to talk about because we're not defined by a set list of topics." Taryn finished. "Come join us, Inga. You know you want to. A girl's gotta spend some time away from all those men."

Inga looked them over for a second before sighing even more dramatically and agreeing as reluctantly as possible. Both Taryn and Adrianna knew this was an act. Inga enjoyed spending time with them but the theatrics were because the three had _very_ different personalities.

"HIDE ME!" Helga suddenly whipped around the corner, snatched a hat off of a nearby young man and stood behind Adrianna. She slapped the young man's hand when he tried to take his hat back. "Relax bub, I'll give it back." The guy gave her a critical look before turning back to his conversation.

Apparently Finn had gotten her back because Adrianna couldn't resist the smirk. "I doubt he noticed your wet hair?"

"SH, you'll blow my cover!" Helga hissed.

Yet another different personality. Helga had always taken after her brawny mother, Ruffnut Thorston Ingerman, but she was also very smart and cunning like her strategist father, Fishlegs.

Taryn leaned in close. "We're going to have a hair and nails party real quick before the race and Anna's date. Want to come? I doubt Finn will find you there."

"Yeah, sounds good."

"What are friends for!" Taryn smiled warmly. "I've got to take care of my girls. What can I say?"

Adrianna opened her mouth to speak when suddenly Finn crept around the corner, a mischievous grin on his face. Helga instantly backed away, confusing Taryn. "What?"

Finn shocked them all when he pulled back Taryn's shirt and dropped the ice inside. Taryn screamed and jumped away, turning and trying to slap the boy.

Finn took off, laughing. "Come on Taryn, have some fun!"

"FEARLESS FINN, DO THAT AGAIN AND I'LL TAKE A TWO BY FOUR TO YOUR BACKSIDE!"

A few adults in the area cracked up, even the young man whose hat was still on Helga's head. The girls couldn't stifle their laughter as they helped pick the ice out of Taryn's shirt, but Finn's shocked expression was priceless.

"A two by four?" He asked incredulously. "What, are you my mother now?"

Inga snorted. "One does not invoke the wrath of Mama Taryn."

Finn blinked. "Mama Taryn?"

Taryn blushed. "I'm not a mom!"

"You're the mom of the group!" Inga cried, inciting Helga's laughter.

"Which is a good thing!" Adrianna added quickly.

Taryn straightened her now ice-free shirt. "Regardless of what they call me, I suggest you not do that again or there won't be a hiding place good enough for you."

Finn snickered. "I'll consider myself warned."

Taryn glared at his back, ignoring the girls' snickers when she finally turned. She gave them a stink eye, daring any of them to call her "Mama Taryn" again. Finally, she sighed, "Okay, let's get to my house. We don't have tons of time."

The girls chatted as they walked, snickering about Finn's ridiculousness. Inga complimented Helga on her ice bucket prank, which started a whole new string of chatter. Finally, the girls arrived at the Brand house.

"So I'm thinking a loose fishtail braid, what do you think?" Taryn asked, playing with a bit of Adrianna's hair as she walked. "You're kinda dressed up though. Hot date?"

"Actually…" Adrianna said slowly as she opened the door and stepped inside after the girls. "It's a little complicated."

"Ooh, spill!" Taryn grasped Adrianna's shoulders and sat her down in a nearby chair.

"Well…" Adrianna sighed, allowing Taryn to tip her head back to begin the braid. Inga and Helga sat on the couch cross-legged, eagerly awaiting her story. "Okay. What would you guys do if you were dating someone for a long time but then out of the blue there was someone else that you were possibly interested in but then it became apparent that he's _really_ interested in you and suddenly you find yourself unsure of what to do."

Inga rolled her eyes. "Ugh don't be so coy. Dump Brandyn; date Erick. End of story."

Helga snorted and gave her a wolfish grin. "I second that."

Adrianna blushed, but glanced up at Taryn. "What do you think?"

She couldn't see Taryn, but could hear the smile in her voice. "I think I want details."

The Haddock girl slumped, but was instantly (but gently) prodded back up so her hair wouldn't get messed up. Adrianna launched into the story, telling the girls about a few of her concerns with Brandyn (keeping out his pressuring for a more intimate relationship) and the fun but very confusing and revealing afternoon with Erick a few days prior.

Taryn stomped her heels on the floor quickly and squealed. "That's so exciting."

Adrianna fought a smile. "You think so?"

Helga made a "pfft" sound with her lips. "Any one of us can tell that he's crazy about you. He always has been."

"Yeah, but what about Brandyn?" Adrianna's smile fell. "I didn't think anything would happen with Erick when we hung out, but it just sort of… happened. He looked so… dejected, I didn't want him to leave without talking about it."

Inga waggled her eyebrows up and down. "Except there been a lot less talking and more-"

"Inga Jorgenson, I will come over there-" Adrianna tried to move forward, but found herself held back by her almost finished braid.

"No, we're almost done!" Taryn exclaimed. "Then you can attack her."

Inga snickered from her chair while Helga mimed kissing sounds. Adrianna's face flushed. "Stoooop!"

"Oh girls, leave her alone," Taryn chided. "I think it's adorable."

"That's not weird for you?" Adrianna asked, looking up at her when Taryn finally released her braid. She pet it gently to feel the soft coils of hair.

Taryn perched on the edge of the couch between the other two girls, looking posh and pristine in her perfect posture. Inga and Helga looked like Gobber after a few meads in the Great Hall with the way they were sprawled out.

"Erick's a good guy, but he wasn't the one for me," Taryn said carefully. "I think through the all the time we dated, deep down he still cared about you a lot."

"Hm," Adrianna sighed, dipping her head back. "Much good it did back then. I almost wish…" She shook her head.

Taryn sat forward, nearly falling off the couch. "What?"

"Oh gods," Helga huffed, reaching out and yanking Taryn back to sit fully on the couch.

"What?" The auburn-haired girl asked with a frown.

"Girl, it's just us," Helga waved her hand around. "Chillax! Ain't nobody here gonna make you be all prim and proper. Relax that stiff spine."

Taryn gave her a look before glancing at the door. Finally she settled into the couch, looking somewhat relieved. Adrianna could forget how very traditional the Brand parents were. They brought up their children to be calm, quiet and respectful; to sit up straight and look adults or acquaintances in the eye when spoken to. Adrianna could remember when they were younger and Taryn had had to practically beg her parents to even let her own a dragon. Something about her "learning to be a lady". She was glad the Brands had at long last conceded.

She liked the Brand parents; truly, she did. But poor Taryn. It was obvious in the girl's dark eyes just how nice it was to be able to relax with friends, even if they still had to force her.

"Anyway," Taryn cleared her throat. "What were you going to say, Anna?"

"Oh." Adrianna thought. "I was going to say I almost wish I hadn't sent Brandyn a message so soon. It was literally days after everything fell apart and we lost Benen and Mr. Larson. Erick stopped talking to me and I instantly sent Brandyn a Terror Message."

Helga simpered. "Do you regret it?"

Adrianna shook her head. "No, of course not. He's a good friend, albeit a little bossy or rude sometimes. But nobody's perfect."

"But there could be something better with Erick?" Taryn asked.

The blonde shrugged, holding out her hands. "I don't know. But I think I need to make a decision soon."

Taryn smiled at her warmly. "Do what makes you happy. If you're not happy with Brandyn, don't stay with him. But if you're only reconsidering because of Erick…"

"Be fair," Helga assisted. "Don't dump him just because of Erick. Especially don't start dating him soon after dumping him, if you do dump him."

"They've bickered a lot the last few months," Inga commented. "You wouldn't want them to have a brawl, as amusing as that would be."

"Amusing?" Adrianna echoed.

"Erick isn't a fighter," Inga shrugged. "He's a pacifist, like your dad."

"Wouldn't do for things to get messy," Helga agreed.

Taryn glanced out the window and suddenly stood, as if she couldn't sit still for too long. Apparently her spine had had its fill of rest. "Alright girls, who wants a snack or drink?"

"Mama Taryn, you're doing it again!" Helga teased.

"I want to be a good hostess!" Taryn cried. "Why's that so bad?"

"It's not!" Adrianna smiled, giving Helga and Inga a look. "I'll help you."

Inga kicked back on the couch. "Sweet. I always wanted a servant."

Adrianna followed Taryn into the kitchen just beyond the living room. "Don't let Finn hear you say that."

Inga sat up, turning around to face them. "Why?"

Adrianna winced, glad Inga hadn't seen her expression. "Never mind."

"Thanks, now I'm just curious."

"Curious?" Helga asked, a teasing lilt in her voice. "Why would you be curious about Finn?"

"Oh boy, do we have another story?" Taryn teased.

"Nope!" Inga instantly flopped back onto the couch, ignoring the older girls' snickering. "Definitely not. Cork it or I'll cork you."

Adrianna stifled a laugh and helped Taryn cut some cheese and biscuits. She decided they needed to do this more often; just gather together as a group and talk about random things. This was a random group of girls with varying personalities, but she found it refreshing in retrospect to the normal people she was with, mainly Finn and Erick and Cliff. It was nice to hang out with girls who weren't rude or snobbish. Perhaps there was something to be said for sisters as well as brothers.

* * *

Adrianna felt good about herself as she walked back out to the village square. She was dressed up with pretty hair and nails. It wasn't like her outer appearance meant the world to her but some days, looking nice _felt_ nice. She spotted the barn just as the last man and his dragon (which so happened to be Snotlout and Hookfang) walked in. This meant they were saddling up. Trying to hide her smirk, she decided to pay the guys a visit.

"Hey, hot shots." she chirped as she leaned into the large barn, where the guys were taking their equipment down to saddle up. "How's it going?"

"Well I can tell you that I don't like racing saddles." Finn scowled at the one he was holding. "They're weird."

"They're designed to keep you from breaking your tailbone, Finn." Hiccup called over, rolling his eyes. "And from damaging other parts of your body."

Several of the men winced in response to this. Adrianna finally let herself smile. Racing saddles had become standard equipment with the new rules set forth by her own generation, not to mention the rougher play. And the best part about them was that, at first glance, they all looked exactly alike.

"Ugh, hold still." Cliff grunted as he attempted to fasten his saddle around his Gronckle. "Did you gain a ton of weight or what?" Cliff's dragon gave him a withering look and smacked him on the side with her tail. "Whaaat, the saddle doesn't fit!"

"Mine fits!" Tuffnut exclaimed, hopping onto Belch. The moment the dragon raised his head, the man fell sideways and landed on his shoulder. "ACK! Nope! Scratch that! There's something wrong with it."

"It's loose?" Hiccup suggested with a deadpan expression.

"Yeah. Hiccup, you're a genius." Tuffnut hopped up and clapped him on the back. "What would I do without this guy?" he added to the others with an affectionate grin.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at him. "Getting kinda awkward, Tuff."

"Wait, either Zap mysteriously lost weight after eating everything in sight or her saddle has now grown." Finn's eyes widened. "Wait a minute. Guys, check your saddles! I think someone switched the labels on them."

Adrianna dearly wanted to brag about her brilliant scheme but she forced herself to stay quiet and watch the mass confusion as the men attempted to figure out whose saddle belonged to whom.

"This never happens in the women's division." Snotlout mumbled irritably when he finally received the correct saddle.

"We all know what this means, right?" Cliff blurted out in a carrying voice.

Adrianna grinned. Here came the show.

"YES!" Tuffnut shouted, making the men jump. There was a brief pause as all eyes turned to him. "Wait, what were we talking about?"

"This was no simple label mishap. No. This was deliberate. And with no evidence, we can only point the finger at one person." Cliff said dramatically. " _Mister Trickster_."

Adrianna wasn't sure whether or not to be flattered that she'd clearly done such a good job with her pranks that the villagers were referring to her as Mister Trickster. Surely such a nice girl couldn't possibly have a mischievous side. She loved this about herself. It was so easy to slip under the radar. No one suspected she was involved, much less the perpetrator. No one except Finn, of course. But, curious to see how much Adrianna could get away with, he hadn't ratted her out yet.

"Very funny, Mister Trickster." Erick crossed his arms and fixed Tuffnut with a penetrating gaze.

"I am appalled that my own fellow Hooligan would accuse me of such mayhem. True, Mister Trickster is possibly the most brilliant man to ever set foot on Berk but he is not I, nor am I he! I am but a pawn in his brilliant strategies!" Tuffnut put his hand on his heart, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. "Bless this man."

"I will find you, MT." Cliff growled. "I will find you and I will put a stop to your dastardly deeds."

"Good luck with that." Adrianna spoke up. "It's been how many years now? And who has managed to catch him?"

"Didn't we find a piece of his shirt last year?" asked Fishlegs as he secured his saddle on Meatlug.

"Yeah but we didn't match it to anything." Hiccup reminded him.

Adrianna's smile widened. She'd planted that evidence on purpose. What they'd found wasn't even part of a shirt. She'd ripped it off a piece of leftover fabric from where Taryn worked.

"Well there really isn't a law against harmless pranks, you know." Hiccup shrugged.

"Maybe you should write one." Snotlout stated. "No pranks except on Loki Day."

"Yeah, Snotlout, I'll put a halt to this whole race just to go write a law preventing Mister Trickster from doing harmless pranks like switching a few labels." Hiccup snarked.

"Don't forget to get a vote on it." Gustav added.

"Ahh yes, that too." Hiccup nodded. He glanced over at his daughter, who was watching the scene with amusement. "What brings you here, Addie? Want to see where the magic happens?"

Adrianna snorted. "Yeah, that's why."

She was about to launch into an excuse when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Brandyn staring down on her.

"I think we can leave them to their frivolity." he said, nodding to Hiccup before he steered Adrianna away. "Sooooo, are you ready for our date? I've got something awesome planned. It will blow your mind."

"Hey, no spoilers!" Adrianna laughed. She honestly liked this side of him. The carefree attitude had been what had attracted her to him, which only made what she wanted to do all the more difficult. "I don't want to go into it with my mind pre-blown. Besides, we have stuff to talk about."

"It's always talk with you." Brandyn rolled his eyes. "It's enough to make me hope you'll be speechless with joy."

The young couple passed the stragglers all making their way to the race, which would probably be starting any minute. Finally, they arrived at the same barn they'd kissed in a few weeks before.

"Aww come on, Brandyn, not again." Adrianna sighed. "I really don't want to have this discus- woah."

Her boyfriend had opened the barn door wide so that she could see the inside. A splash of red met her eyes.

"Brandyn... _wow_!" she breathed as she stepped inside, barely hearing the door shut tightly behind her.

The whole barn had been decked out in flowers and red cloth. Brandyn had even painted little hearts on the walls in different shades of it. Clearly this had taken a lot of setting up.

"It's beautiful." Adrianna turned around on the spot, drinking it all in. "How did you..."

"Took me a couple of days. But I wanted you to be surrounded by your favorite color." Brandyn brushed her cheek with his thumb and kissed her firmly.

This was... _different._ She hadn't thought about it before but Brandyn's kisses were more deliberate, almost possessive. It was as if he expected her to take off mid kiss. She felt his hands grasping her upper arms so that she couldn't get away from him. As she kissed him, she dearly wanted to put thoughts of Erick out of her head but she simply couldn't help it. Erick had kissed her so lovingly, she knew that he would have let her go had she pulled away. But Brandyn... she didn't know.

Although there was one thing she _did_ know. Erick would have remembered that her favorite color was purple, not red.

Finally, she pulled away from Brandyn, separating their lips. She felt the grip on her upper arms tighten ever so slightly.

"Brandyn, I have a confession." she breathed, her heart racing.

"Come on, no more talking." Brandyn leaned in to kiss her again but she turned her head. "Ugh, fine. What is it?"

"I... I cheated."

Brandyn let go of her arms. "You what?"

Adrianna swallowed. "I kissed someone. It just happened so fast that I didn't-"

"Erick." Brandyn growled, his eyes flashing. "It's _always_ Erick."

"He just kissed me out of nowhere." Adrianna confessed, her stomach in knots. She had no idea how Brandyn would react to this.

Suddenly, the hardened look on Brandyn's face turned into a strange sort of smile. The fire was still in his eyes but his face looked almost friendly. It gave Adrianna the creeps.

"It's all right, babe. We all slip up." he said in a falsely sweet voice. "But I know the perfect way for you to make it up to me."

"No, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." Adrianna took a step back. Brandyn was honestly starting to scare her. "I just... I think we want different things."

"Don't let Erick run your life." Brandyn simpered. " _I'm_ your boyfriend."

"No, Brandyn. I've had reservations about us for a while and you just keep pushing for things I don't want to do." Adrianna felt her hands shaking and hid them behind her back. This was a _lot_ harder than she thought it would be. "I don't think we should see each other anymore."

The smile faded. Brandyn stood there, rigidly staring at her for nearly a full minute.

"Seriously?" he asked in a tone she'd never heard before. "I put all this work into decking out this barn for you. I forgave you for cheating, for Thor's sake! I've waited for you time and time again and now, after all that, you think you can end it? Just like that?"

"What are you talking about?" Adrianna's heart left her chest to thump in her ears.

Before she had time to react, Brandyn stepped forward and grabbed her wrist in a vice like grip. Adrianna tried to wiggle it away but it was no use. Her little hand was no match for his massive one.

"I've given you everything I can and you never give back." He hissed. "And this is _not_ how it ends."

"Brandyn, stop!" Adrianna squeaked, her whole body shaking with terror as she tried to wrench her hand away. "You're hurting me!"

"No." Brandyn boomed, making her cower in terror. "For once, I'm getting what _I_ want." The sounds of cheering Hooligans entered the barn, making Brandyn smile down at her in fierce pleasure. "And it looks like no one's around to save you this time."

Panic gripped Adrianna so hard, she almost couldn't move at first. Then the spell broke and she wrenched her arm out of Brandyn's grasp.

"Get away from me!"

"Wish I could, babe." Brandyn said in a voice dripping with false concern. "But it looks like we're stuck."

This _wasn't_ happening. Brandyn couldn't be thinking of doing what he was so clearly indicating. This all had to be some horrible joke. Adrianna felt adrenaline pumping through her as she just about dived past Brandyn toward the barn door, pushing it as hard as she could. To her horror, it didn't budge. She could hear his footsteps growing closer and, out of the corner of her eye, his form looming behind her, a savage, almost insane grin twisting his once handsome face.

"Please let me go." She whimpered, her palms sweating and still pushing against the immovable door.

"I'm going to give you one more chance." Brandyn leered over her, his hands unhooking the belt at his waist. "We can do this the easy way," he yanked his belt off and dropped it with a clatter at her feet, "or the _hard_ way."

Adrianna dry swallowed, desperately looking anywhere but at him. His hands suddenly reached forward and, almost instinctively, she leaped out of the way. It was then that she spotted a ladder leading to the loft of the barn. If she could open the dragon hatch in the ceiling, she could climb out and call for help from one of the racers. It was her only chance of escape.

Adrenaline surged again and she bolted toward the ladder like her life depended on it (and it probably did). As she climbed up, she distinctly heard Brandyn's laughing behind her.

"So, hard way it is!" he called up to her, his voice growing ever closer. "I'm game!"

Adrianna finally reached the top of the ladder, fear coursing through her in waves that made it difficult to draw breath. She reached the hatch and slammed her fists into it, only to discover that it too had been secured. She knew, in that instant, that _this_ had been the plan. Brandyn had trapped her on purpose.

"HELP!" she screamed, her voice tearing through her dry throat. "HELP ME, PLEASE!"

A rough hand closed over her mouth. "Shhh, wouldn't want anyone to hear us, would we?" Brandyn hissed into her ear.

There was only one course of action left. Adrianna thrashed wildly, desperately trying to bite, punch, and kick every inch of him. If she could fight him off long enough, maybe someone would come. Maybe one of the racers would hear her. Maybe one of the dragons would sense her fear. This sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen. Not to _her_!

To her surprise, she managed to free herself from his grasp but she knew it was useless to try to run. He blocked every punch she threw, almost like he knew what she was about to do the split second before she did it. Desperation swelled within her as she did the one thing her father had told her to do if ever confronted with a dangerous man: She attempted to slam her knee into his groin. Brandyn effortlessly blocked her attack.

"Ah ah, not there," He bore down on her with the same terrifying smile. "I _need_ that."

Adrianna attempted to throw another punch but Brandyn closed his fist around her wrist. His other hand grabbed a huge handful of her hair as he threw her down onto the floor. Her head hit the wood with a sickening crack as his image swam in front of her vision. Unable to breathe, whether from the fall or from terror, she choked as he leered over her, roughly shoving his hand over her mouth. Hot tears poured out of her eyes as she stared up at him, her first boyfriend, a man she thought she had loved.

Adrianna squirmed and thrashed as hard as she could, every muscle in her body burning with effort but she felt herself tiring quickly. She tried to scream for her parents, Finn, Erick, somebody. _Anybody_.

Now, as she felt Brandyn's hand at her waist and stared up into his cruel blue eyes, she knew she had fallen for the wrong man. And she was going to pay dearly for that mistake. Since she was a little girl and bad things started happening in her life, she always had faith that someone would come for her. That faith had been shattered before, but her trust in her family and friends had always been strengthened once more.

But this time, nobody was coming. Nobody could help her. _Nobody knew._


	6. Naked

Naked.

Adrianna had never really known what that word truly meant until she had experienced its effects. As she lay stiffly on the dirty wooden planks beneath her panting boyfriend, her body ignited with sensations she had never believed possible, she now knew what it meant to be completely, truly naked. It wasn't like taking her clothes off for a bath with the door locked tightly and her dragon as her only witness. It wasn't like the memories she'd had of her parents bathing her. At least then they had been gentle, had put her at ease. Even Mara had done her best to make sure that her examinations had been brief and as comfortable as possible under the circumstances.

But that wasn't nakedness. It never was. Though no clothes hid any parts of her body, she was still clothed in the sense that she was safe. That no one would take advantage of her. That no one would force his way inside of her. But now, as she lay there struggling to breathe, her body mostly clothed but its most intimate part feeling as if it had been ripped to pieces, she knew that now she was truly, completely, unequivocally _naked_.

It seemed to last forever. Like someone had stabbed her over and over and _over_ again until she couldn't stand it anymore. She begged the gods to kill her so she wouldn't be subject to such agony even a second longer. Brandyn's weight crushed her so drawing breath became nearly impossible. Even if his hand hadn't been covering her mouth, she never would have been able to scream. This had to be how it ended. The nearly seventeen year life of Adrianna Haddock snuffed out under the weight of the man she'd trusted for nearly two years.

And then it was over. Brandyn let out a tiny grunt and the stabbing stopped. Adrianna opened her eyes and stared up at him. The twisted smile was back on his face as he removed his hand from her mouth. The girl tried to take a deep breath but she felt crushed be his weight.

"Now, do we want to do this again?" he hissed in her ear. Terror seized her at the mere thought. She shook her head vehemently. "Okay. Then we're going to be keeping quiet, won't we? No running off to tell daddy. No talking to Erick or the annoying one anymore. Not even the girls. You're going to be right next to me."

Adrianna nodded. She would do _anything_ to get away from him. To have even a moment to herself. The smell of Brandyn's cologne overwhelmed her senses and she felt physically ill.

"Actually," Brandyn's smile widened, " _no._ I'll give you one last conversation with Erick. You're going to tell him you hate his guts and you never want to see him again. You're going to say you wish he'd died the day he lost his leg because your friendship has been a lie all this time. I don't care what you tell him, but you're going to tell him whatever is needed to make him _go_ _away_. Got it?" Adrianna whimpered. Brandyn bore down harder on her, his teeth gritted. " _Got it_?"

She nodded. "Y-yes." she choked. "P-please..."

"Let you go?" Brandyn asked in a voice full of false sweetness. "All right, babe." he got up off her, hitching his pants around his waist. "Go home."

Adrianna gasped once his weight was off of her body. In one fluid movement, she too pulled up her pants and scooted toward the ladder. Every movement hurt, her head throbbing and her whole body tender. She nearly cried again as she tried to climb down the ladder; moving her legs sent waves of agony all through her abdomen. When her feet hit the floor, she wobbled and grabbed the ladder for support. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Brandyn staring down at her, his horrible smile still on his face.

"Oh wait," he called down. Adrianna froze. Was he going to do it _again_? _Could_ he do it again so soon? She winced when he climbed down the ladder after her. "I have to let you out, don't I?"

The girl shuddered when he passed her. But, true to his word, Brandyn jimmied the lock and unlatched a series of latches. The barn door swung open.

"After you, milady." he mock bowed to her and gestured out into the blinding sunlight.

She wanted to tell him to go ahead and leave her there. She didn't know if she could walk straight. Even shifting her weight the tiniest bit sent little pangs all through her body. Brandyn watched her struggle with an almost triumphant expression. When she finally reached the door, he blocked her.

"Aww, no goodbye kiss?" he stuck out his lower lip in mock disappointment. "Come on, sugar. I _am_ your boyfriend."

His filthy lips were on hers before she could even react. Adrianna stood very still, praying that he would finish so that she could leave. Her hands shook so hard she placed them in her pockets and her lungs began to ache from the lack of oxygen. Brandyn finally broke away, his hands on her face like a perverted version of Erick's embrace days ago.

"No Erick. No girls. _No telling_." he whispered in her face before he allowed her to pass him.

Just as she thought this was over, that she could _finally_ begin to process what had just happened, she felt him smack her bottom rather hard. She stumbled forward but continued walking. If she looked back, she might lose control. And if she lost control... she didn't even want to _think_ about that. Each step seemed to take all of her concentration. She winced in pain when she tried to take larger strides so her walking was slow.

She didn't know when Brandyn finally went his separate way. All she felt was the sweeping relief when she realized he was no longer behind her. The race had ended and the villagers poured from the arena, all chattering about what had happened and the dangerous stunts that had taken place. Her heart ached; how she longed to be one of them. To be walking back home with a smile on her face, either encouraging or consoling her father and brother.

When she reached the square, several eyes fell on her. And though her brain knew that no one knew her secret, her heart raced and she felt as if each and every person was judging her. She soon found that focusing on the ground helped her focus on her goal, which was simply to return home as quickly as possible.

Just as she was about to reach the hill that led to her house, she spotted a two feet in her way. Her eyes suddenly rose and met the sharp gray of Tuffnut's. Her whole body tensed, the pains she was experiencing suddenly heightening and making it difficult to think.

Tuffnut's face was covered in his usual design, which looked more like he'd coated it in shoe polish than anything. His face lit up when he recognized her.

"That was _awesome_!" he exclaimed. She stopped herself from wincing at his loud voice. "The way Hiccup was like _you shall not pass_ and then Cliff was like _yeah, you and what army_? And then Finn! And Snotlout! Ahh it was amazing! Of course, you saw it."

Rather than try to speak, Adrianna turned her mouth up in a smile that she knew would not come close to reaching her eyes. She nodded as convincingly as she could.

"Yeah, it was the _best_!" Tuffnut continued. "That's gonna go down in the history books as the greatest... Anna?" he paused, looking her up and down with an almost calculating gaze. "You don't look so good."

Adrianna tensed. He knew. _No!_ He couldn't possibly know. But he knew _something_. She swallowed thickly.

"I'm all right." she breathed. "Tired."

"Man, you _really_ don't look good." Tuffnut reached out to touch her braid and she flinched. "Oh sorry. I just thought I saw hay in there."

Adrianna grabbed her braid and found the piece of hay to which he was referring. She yanked it out. "I'm fine, Tuff. I just... feel a little sick. Going home."

Tuffnut took a few steps backward. "Well if you're gonna barf, do it outside. Inside is messy."

She nodded again and pushed past him, hoping that he would forget the encounter and move on. How she wished she could do this so easily.

She thanked the gods that no one was home when she walked into the house. Lily, who was snoozing by the fireplace, lifted her head and stared at her human for a few seconds. Then she slowly crept forward and sniffed a bit more. She was used to her human's boyfriend's smell by now but this was different. His scent was far more powerful than it had ever been on someone other than him. And it was in places that she knew it had never been before. She made eye contact with her human and, with a thrill of horror, suddenly knew what had happened. The low groan that came from her throat was the saddest noise Adrianna had ever heard her make.

"I know." she whispered, gently stroking her dragon's chin. "I need to get him off."

Lily almost shoved her in the direction of the washroom. Adrianna didn't need much prodding to convince her to move but the Monstrous Nightmare hated how strong the scent of her human's boyfriend remained or the slight whiff of blood she kept catching. When they arrived in the washroom and Lily made absolutely certain that the door was bolted shut and the curtains drawn, she helped Adrianna by drawing out the water from the small well Hiccup had dug and making sure Adrianna poured enough into the large tub. As she heated the water, Adrianna disrobed and left her clothes in a heap on the floor. As she got in the tub, Lily spotted drops of pinkish blood on her human's underwear. She turned back and was horrified at the state of the girl's skin. There were bruises up and down her back and on her legs. With an almost mournful groan, she used her snout to push the soap forward.

"Thank you." Adrianna whispered.

The girl immediately got to work scrubbing her entire body. The warm water soothed the parts of her that hurt the most, making her sigh in relief, but she couldn't slow down. She could still smell him, still _feel_ him all over her body. The soap's smell wasn't strong enough but she continued to scrub. Finally, the soap had disintegrated in her hand and she finally felt a bit less sore. Lily grabbed a towel from a hook on the wall and handed it to her as she stood up. Adrianna wrapped herself tightly and grabbed her clothes. At first she considered putting them back on. But the idea of wearing something that would remind her of this nearly made her physically ill. She examined them for a few minutes. She had no emotional attachments to a single item of clothing in her hand. Good. That would make it easy.

After pounding up the stairs, her dragon at her heels, and putting on some fresh, clean clothes, she rushed back down the stairs with a fistful of the clothes she had just been wearing. There was no fire in the fire pit and no one was home. She could still smell him through the material and nothing would get it out. Nothing ever could. With a burst of rage she didn't know she possessed, she pitched her clothes in the pit and pointed at it, indicating to Lily that she wanted it lit. Lily shot a tiny flame at the wood and cloth and it immediately ignited. Soon the house was filled with the pleasant fragrance of a crackling fire. And the smell of Brandyn was finally gone.

But not the sensation. His hands still trailed every inch of her back. His torso still crushed hers. His heavy breathing still echoed in her ear. And no matter how much she tried to take her mind off of it, everything kept coming back.

Adrianna curled up on the couch and watched her clothes burn until they were no longer recognizable. Lily rested her head against the back of the couch and nuzzled her face. As the girl stroked her dragon absentmindedly, she tried to feel something. Anything. An emotion, an original thought... anything except blank horror. Shock. She wanted to cry but the tears wouldn't come. Her insides were empty except for the memories of mere minutes ago. They replayed over and over so that she could barely breathe with the pressure on her chest.

The only feeling she could even begin to adopt was appreciation for her dragon. Lily didn't know about the ways humans perceived what had happened but she did know that her human needed a friend. That's what made dragons so special. That's why her father fought so hard for their protection. And why she would one day make sure that his fight wasn't in vain.

But for now, she simply allowed her dragon to try to bring back the deadness inside.

* * *

Hiccup gave his son a smile when he marched down the stairs for breakfast. Finn immediately charged into the kitchen to make breakfast. Adrianna didn't appear to be up yet, though he wasn't surprised. Adrianna didn't like getting up early.

"All right guys, here's the plan," Astrid announced as she stomped down the stairs. "I'm at the arena until four today so everyone behave, no skipping meals. Finn, are you going hunting?"

"Yup." Finn replied through a mouthful of oatmeal.

A long, low horn sounded from outside across the island. Hiccup turned in his chair toward the window.

Finn stepped around the corner when the horn sounded again. "What's that?"

"Ships approaching." Hiccup dropped the dagger onto the nearest window sill and marched out the door, Astrid on his heels. They ran to their dragons, who were already prancing in the grass, eager to check out who was approaching their territory.

"Easy bud," Hiccup said calmly as he leaped into the saddle. "Could just be Johann for all we know."

"But we're not expecting him for another few weeks." Astrid said.

The chief and his dragon took off into the air without further comment. They shot across the bridge that separated their house from the rest of the village. Hiccup took note of Snotlout and Gustav already taking to the air with a few other council members.

Toothless landed at the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean just beyond the outskirts of the village, the port directly below. Pebbles clattered over the edge when the Night Fury's claws hit the ground. Hiccup called out to the sentry standing in a nearby post.

"How many?"

"Just one, sir!"

"One," Hiccup muttered under his breath, relaxing instantly. One ship they could take if it happened to be someone hostile. He pulled an spyglass from his saddlebag and looked through, ignoring the sound of flapping wings behind him.

"Dad, who is it?"

"Finn, you should've stayed home." Astrid scolded.

"Why?"

"Outcasts." Hiccup interrupted, setting down the spyglass.

Astrid frowned. "What do _they_ want?"

"Don't know. I don't see Allie though."

Gustav huffed nearby. "Well after poisoning you, she'd better not show her face here."

Hiccup usually wasn't one to jump to conclusions or take an aggressive approach. But he heartily agreed with the Larson. Granted he'd been mostly delirious when he'd told Horst his suspicions about "poison on the blade". She probably hadn't cleaned it. Outcasts weren't exactly known for their cleanliness in any area. It shouldn't be any surprise that the chieftess's weapon would be disgusting beyond measure. For all he knew she'd gutted somebody weeks before fighting him and he'd contracted some horrendous disease-

"Sir?"

The chief shook himself. "Sorry, what was that?"

The sentry repeated his question: "How would you like to proceed?"

Hiccup looked through the spyglass once again, surveying the ship. It appeared to only be a small group of guards. The ship itself wasn't that big. Still…

"Let them in. But I want eyes on all of them at all times."

"Yes sir."

"Riders, fan out."

Astrid moved Stormfly closer. "Where do you want me?"

Hiccup quirked a lopsided grin at her. "Probably nothing to worry about here. You can go to the arena as planned."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Finn bounced up and down, but only because Zap wiggled in anticipation to get moving. He set a hand on her side to calm her. "What about me?"

Hiccup turned away from the ocean, scratching Toothless's jaw as he spoke. "I thought you were going hunting?"

"Well that was the plan, but I want to help with something."

The chief smiled knowingly. "Don't worry about it, buddy. If there were more than three ships I'd place you somewhere, but I don't think it's necessary."

Finn's face fell in a pout. "But-"

"Finn, it's Saturday." Hiccup raised his eyebrows.

"So?"

"So you don't need to work today. Go relax, have fun, flirt with girls, go do something that doesn't involve work."

"But I like work!"

Hiccup smiled. "Which is good, but you're also a sixteen. Trust me, when you're in my position you won't get days off. Go be a kid, Finn. I'll call you if I need you."

Finn looked generally dissatisfied with the situation, but finally he sighed. "Okay…"

"'atta boy. Take him away, Zapster."

Zap jumped in excitement before spreading her wings wide and taking off. The Haddocks watched the Shockjaw carry their son away before they arced toward the forest and soon disappeared.

Astrid interrupted his thoughts. "I'm going to the arena then."

"Okay. I'll send you a Terror about what's going on."

"Okay." Astrid jumped down from Stormfly and pulled him down for a quick kiss. Hiccup smiled as he watched her leave with Stormfly moments later.

"Twenty years later and you still can't get kissed without some kind of sappy smile."

Hiccup twisted toward Snotlout and shrugged. "Some things never get old."

"Oh yeah? Well-"

Gustav cleared his throat. "For your sake, you should probably just not reply to that."

Snotlout looked affronted. "And why ever not?"

"Because if your wife finds out you made some stupid, insensitive comment she might break out the double bladed axe." Gustav said, snickering with Hiccup. "Not that that wouldn't be awesome mind you."

Hiccup cleared his throat before things got too out of hand. "You two with me. Let's see who's here."

The trio dove toward the port just in time for the ship to dock. Most of the Outcasts stayed on the ship save for one: a tall, well-muscled, dark-haired man stepped off the ship and watched Hiccup with a beady-eyed gaze as he landed and climbed off his dragon.

"Hello," Hiccup held out a hand. The man firmly accepted the handshake. Good, he was civil enough. That alone was rare with Outcasts. "What can I help you with?"

The man's gaze travelled up to the village. "My name is Roscoe. I'm here to speak to an old friend. I was given permission from Chief Allie to visit for a short period of time. I'll be on my way before noon time if all goes well."

Hiccup shrugged. "Sounds alright to me. Who do you need to speak to?"

"Brandyn Anderson."

A bud of concern blossomed in Hiccup's chest. "Is everything all right with his mother?"

"Oh yes," Roscoe waved a hand. "She's fine. I'm an old family friend. She asked me to take a trip out here and visit the boy, thought it would be good to check in without her heckling."

Hiccup nodded, waving toward the stairs. "I'll take you to him."

"Much obliged."

The men began their gradual assent, Roscoe glancing cautiously at every dragon he passed. Hiccup quickly deduced that he wasn't really a fan of dragons. Then again, few Outcasts were. Brandyn was one of the fair few.

"How long have you known Brandyn?" Hiccup asked when they reached the top. He led the Outcast into the village toward the direction of Brandyn's house.

Roscoe spared him a short glance. "Told you. Family friend."

"Yes, but I'm sure he'd have mentioned you if you were close."

Roscoe paused and turned another tight-lipped look on the chief. Hiccup felt his spine stiffen under his scrutiny and heard the beginnings of a low growl in Toothless's throat.

"All right, if you must know," Roscoe snapped. "After the boy's father was brutally murdered and Lofn and the child were left alone, I stepped in whenever I could to see they were cared for."

Hiccup held his eye for a few more seconds before dipping his head in acknowledgment. Roscoe visibly relaxed and they continued down the street. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was weird about the guy, but Brandyn never had been one to talk much about his past. Then again, neither was Finn.

Soon enough they reached the small house Brandyn lived and Hiccup knocked on the door. A few moments later the door opened. Brandyn stared at Hiccup in surprise for a moment before his eyes fell on Roscoe.

Being his old family friend, Hiccup expected the teenager's face to split into a grin. He expected some sort of emotion linked to happiness or surprise. But instead the edges of Brandyn's mouth tightened and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Roscoe," Brandyn remarked flatly.

"Brandyn."

Hiccup glanced between the two of them in concern. "Somebody want to explain what's going on here?"

Brandyn's look faltered and he spared Hiccup an apologetic glance. "Sorry. Just surprising is all."

Roscoe rolled his eyes. "Don't be a drama queen."

"You've been gone for _years_! Now you show up?"

"I make a living out at sea, boy! How was anyone to tell me you'd moved to Berk?"

"Like you cared anyway-"

"Okay, okay!" Hiccup waved his hands. "Do I need to… protect you in any way, Brandyn?"

Brandyn's eyes narrowed in an offended glare. "Protection for what?"

Hiccup shook his head. "Not every day we get Outcasts popping in to speak to my villagers. But it wouldn't be the first time a civil war was started over citizenship."

"Um, no." The teenager rolled his eyes, but he managed a smile. "Roscoe's just being an idiot."

"Says the kid who left without telling me."

"Sea travel!"

"Terrible Terror messaging!" Roscoe cried.

Hiccup sighed. "Well, I'll leave you two to this enjoy this blessed reunion in peace."

"What, you're not going to stick around?" Brandyn called after him.

Hiccup climbed into Toothless's saddle. "I've had my fair share of arguments with Outcasts over the years. Anymore of this and I'm going to need a drink. Thanks for the offer though."

Brandyn rolled his eyes again. "See you later, chief."

"Come on, bud." The chief took one last look at the two men before Toothless shot into the air. In the back of his mind he felt weird about the situation, but he had no basis for worry or confusion. An old family friend of the Andersons had decided to come to Berk to visit Brandyn. It almost sounded like something Benen would have done, except his relationship with Finn was a lot more caring and devoted.

Brandyn and Roscoe sounded like two wild Nadders fighting over a piece of meat. There had to be more to their history than an old man who never came around. Surely if they were close, any of the Haddocks would have heard of Roscoe by now.

Whatever the situation was, he didn't need to get in the middle of it. He was the chief of Berk; he had a million and one things to do today and every other day. The last thing he needed to worry about was Brandyn drama. As usual, he was probably worrying over nothing.

* * *

Finn crashed through the underbrush at top speeds, running as fast as he possibly could. He heard the rising power in his dragon's wings before-

Finn tucked and rolled to the side in time for Zap's electric blast to explode against the ground. Not her strongest attacks of course; she didn't want to hurt him! But this was all part of their training together.

He'd discovered upon the first day of their meeting how much power she had. Then once she'd officially moved in and they'd started experimenting, his dad and Fishlegs taking furious notes day by day, it became soon apparent that a Shockjaw had some serious electric power. Not as much as a Skrill, but pretty close.

Zap shot another blast at him, which he dodged once again. He'd only ever been severely hit by her electricity once and half his body had tingled for the next day and a half. His parents hadn't been too happy over their carelessness.

But now they'd been training for a long period of time and they rarely hit each other. Also, this was a good time for them to get all their extra bursts of energy out (especially Zap's) before the day really got started. Saturday morning was their time to hunt and workout, and they enjoyed every second of it.

Eventually Zap landed in front of him, blocking his way. Finn tried to run around her, but she swiftly swung her tail and caught his left leg. He tumbled to the ground with a pronounced, very manly "gyah!"

Zap chortled down at him before licking his face.

"Oh shut up, doofus."

The dragon yipped at him in disdain, clearly offended.

"Don't you sass me."

"Aroo!"

Finn sat up and scowled. "Arooo to you!"

"AROOOOOO!"

"AWOOOOO!' Finn copied her, just to make her do it longer.

"AROOOOOOOOOOOOO ROOOROOOROOO."

Finn cracked up as he sat in the dirt, watching his dragon howl to the treat tops simply because he'd started sassing her. He still couldn't believe how silly she was.

"Such a drama queen."

Zap huffed in his face and toppled him onto his back when she started licking his face.

"Gah stop stop stop STOP IT! Eugh." Finn wiped his face off as best he could on his already sweaty shirt. "Good thing Inga's not here to see this." The boy froze and suddenly groaned. "I didn't just say that out loud."

Zap chortled in his face and then yanked him back to his feet by his shirt, careful not to pop holes in the material.

"Oh hush, one day I'm gonna mock you for inconceivable crushes. Like Charger!"

Zap squawked, turned tail and walked away.

Finn chortled and ran after her. "Yeah that's right, I said it. Zappy likes Charger, ha ha ha."

Zap suddenly stood at attention, head cocked to one side. She turned toward the right and growled lowly. Finn paused, listening. He could hear a couple of men arguing in the distance.

"Sh, stay close Zap."

Finn crept forward through the woods as quietly as he could. They traveled for a few minutes until finally they got close enough to make out the voices clearly.

"-ck to the plan!"

"We've been over this, boy. How long do you expect us to wait around?"

"I expect you to wait as long as necessary!"

Before Finn could place the voices, one familiar, the other new, Zap accidentally rammed into him from behind and toppled him through the bushes. Finn caught himself before he could fall flat on his face, and he shot a glare back at his sheepish dragon. But when he faced forward, he could only be surprised.

Brandyn stood there next to a man he'd never seen before, all clad in dark materials and armor with thick black hair and beard and scathing eyes. But it wasn't the man who surprised him. The look on Brandyn's face was murderous.

"Did your dad send you?"

Finn blinked. "No…"

"Then why are you here?"

Deciding to play it safe, Finn gestured over his shoulder. "Just out hunting with my dragon, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Well in case you hadn't _noticed_ ," Brandyn spat. "We were in the middle of a conversation before you butted in!"

"Yeah, and I'm sorry about that," Finn remarked flatly. "But if you wanted a private conversation, maybe you should do a lot less yelling and more talking indoors where sound doesn't carry. Just a word of advice."

Brandyn's face slowly reddened and Finn wondered what the guy's deal was. What were they talking about? What did he mean, wait as long as necessary? Wait for what?

But the other young man interrupted his musings: "Are you done here or would you like to eavesdrop more?"

Finn glared, grasped Zap's shoulder strap on his saddle and pulled her toward the direction they'd come. They didn't stop walking for a long while and didn't hear voices at all after that. Finn didn't know what to make of the situation. He hadn't really heard anything _that_ concerning, but still. Whatever it was, it was weird.

The most interesting (and frightening) part was how quickly Brandyn's emotions could flip like a coin the last few days. The guy seemed to be getting more agitated with every passing day. More than once he'd walked into work to find Brandyn muttering under his breath as if he was having a conversation with someone Finn couldn't see. It was… weird. He was beginning to wonder if he still liked his sister dating him.

More and more red flags seemed to be going up by the day, but nothing so serious that he _had_ to tell someone. That someone being his father. Was it his place to voice his concerns? Was it too early?

Finn sighed heavily. "Too many questions, Zappy. Too many questions."

* * *

Adrianna never was an early riser. But she supposed lack of sleep would drive anyone to get restless.

Every time she closed her eyes, she could see him. His cold blue gaze, his hand over her mouth, that horrible, twisted smile... there was no escaping him. Every bump in the night made her panic and throw the covers over her head. And then she would see him in the darkness and throw them off with a gasp. Her head pounded, probably from slamming into the hard wooden planks. If Lily weren't sleeping on the floor next to her, she thought she might have died from the sheer panic that seemed constantly below the surface. She thought she might have dozed off a few times but she wasn't sure.

All she knew for certain was that it had _never_ been like this with Trista. She had been tiny, alone, and terrified but she had never given up hoping that she would be rescued. And then she was. As jumpy and frightened as she had been after the experience, as many nightmares as she had endured, she had gotten past it. Even in recent years, her nightmares were oddly warped, like she was finally forgetting details like Trista's face and the voice of the man she had killed. She would still wake up covered in sweat but she would be fine. She didn't need her daddy to come in and hug her.

Now, Brandyn was everywhere. He was in the creaking of the floorboards downstairs. He was in the steady throbbing of her head and other parts of her body. He was in the bruises she had found on the inside of her legs and on her wrists. He was in the foul scent of his cologne she could still smell. His panting was still echoing in her head. Even after her bath had soothed her, she could still feel him inside of her.

No, this was nothing like what she had experienced with Trista. This was _worse_.

At long last, once she heard her family leave after the horns blew, she felt like it was safe to come out. She didn't know if she wanted to be around people right now but she also didn't want to be alone. It was a strange, paradoxical feeling that she wouldn't be able to explain even on her most articulate of days. The previous night, she had skipped out on the party at the Great Hall and gone to bed before her family got back. She wondered why no one came to check on her but honestly, she preferred not having anyone around.

Finally, she decided to get up and get dressed. She slipped out of bed, yawning and stretching. As soon as she opened up her dresser drawer, she nearly retched. Atop her untidy pile of clean shirts was a bright red one. The color red seemed to burn her senses and she threw it aside so she wouldn't have to look at it. She wasn't sure she could ever look at the color red without being reminded of the walls of the barn, the paint on the ceiling she stared at while Brandyn...

She avoided thinking the word. If she dwelt on it, it would become real. She would have to accept the loss of more than just her innocence.

Once she'd thrown on an outfit without really thinking about it, she went down the stairs and slipped out. She didn't care that she hadn't brushed her hair or her teeth. She just needed to get out. To breathe in fresh air. She could hear Lily waddling behind her, apparently deciding that she shouldn't be completely alone. Adrianna wanted to go for a flight but she couldn't straddle anything without white hot pain radiating through her body. She didn't much feel like riding sidesaddle.

The sun was coming up as she entered the village. She made a split second decision to simply stop and watch it rise. She needed to witness something beautiful, some sort of reminder that life would go on. That maybe, as the sun rose above the horizon and into the sky, her nightmares would end. But she wasn't so naive to actually believe it. She had lost that naiveté long before any little girl should.

"Hey!"

Adrianna screamed and whirled around. Her heart rate eased slightly when she saw Cliff standing in front of her, looking extremely apologetic.

"Sorry!" he exclaimed, holding his hands out in a placating gesture. "I didn't mean to startle you!"

"It's fine." the girl breathed. "Just don't... don't sneak up on me like that."

"I'm sorry." Cliff repeated, looking like Finn did when he accidentally stepped on Zap's tail. "I just... I don't usually see you out here this early."

"Didn't sleep." Adrianna glanced around her to make sure no one was listening. She spotted trees plenty big enough for a full grown man to hide behind but she wasn't about to go looking for eavesdroppers. "Anyway, I should-"

"Brandyn said you were sick yesterday." Cliff interrupted. "Feeling better?"

Adrianna felt a pang of horror but she fought to keep her expression neutral. _Brandyn_ had gone to the party? After everything he'd done, he'd actually looked her family in the eye and told them a straight up lie to cover up what he had forced on her in that barn?

"No." she said simply, dearly wanting Cliff to leave so Brandyn wouldn't catch them talking.

"Oh. Okay. What are you up to?" Cliff asked, still not leaving.

"Well, I... I was going to go talk to Erick."

"He's not up yet." Cliff knitted his brow. "Are you _sure_ you're okay? I don't know, you seem... tense."

Adrianna became suddenly aware that she had started gripping her saddle rather hard. Even Lily stared at her with concern. She loosed her grip and dusted off her hands.

"Headache." she said. "I'm going now."

"Maybe you should go to Mara."

"I'm _fine_ , Cliff." Adrianna insisted. "Just go, okay?"

Without waiting for her friend to respond, she marched into town. The village was fairly quiet, which wasn't unusual at this time of day. It wasn't like everyone on Berk awoke with the sun. She wanted to go for a flight. Perhaps the cool air in her face would clear her mind. But the soreness between her legs twinged uncomfortably. Outhouse trips alone were painful, she hated to imagine how much worse it would be to straddle anything.

She stared up at the open sky as a few dragons flew overhead, wishing she could join them. Maybe she'd fly away from Berk and communicate with her family and friends via Terror so Brandyn would never find her. But it would be open season on her loved ones if she did that. If Brandyn was willing to do what he had done to her, she shuddered to think about what he would do to the people she loved.

"All righ' there?" Gobber called. Adrianna jumped, though not as much as she had with Cliff.

"Yeah." she called back, trying to force a false smile on her face.

"Good. C'mere for a second, will ya?"

Adrianna felt dread rising in her stomach but she shakily walked toward him and entered the forge. On a normal day, she liked visits to the forge. Gobber was always good for a laugh, especially when he started telling stories about her father as a teenager. Today though, she just wanted to get through the next twelve hours without breaking down.

"What is it?" she asked shortly, though she hoped it wasn't altogether out of character. She knew she could be snippy on the best of mornings if she was out of bed too early.

"Oh don't be a drama queen." Gobber waved his remaining hand. "Just need ya to hold this Terror still while I yank out her tooth." he gestured to a cage with a furious green Terrible Terror in it.

"Oh. Okay." Adrianna approached the cage with her hand outstretched. The Terror squawked loudly at her. "Easy, girl. I know it hurts now but Gobber's going to make it all better."

She heard Gobber digging loudly for pliers so she kept her voice low so he wouldn't hear. The Terror stopped thrashing and sniffed her curiously.

"Yeah. You can smell it too, can't you?" Adrianna whispered. "I can't wash it off."

The Terror eyed her suspiciously. Perhaps it was the scent of the aura Adrianna gave off but it seemed to soothe her a bit. Maybe she thought that if this girl knew pain and still trusted Gobber, maybe she could too. More likely, it was the fact that the Haddock girl was simply more maternal and a bit easier on the eyes than a giant man with missing limbs. Adrianna wasn't sure if dragons could make comparisons like that but it wasn't unlike them to make strange connections.

She took a chance and opened the cage. The Terror hopped into her arms and cooed. She immediately licked the girl's face.

"Thanks." Adrianna whispered before looking over in Gobber's direction. "I think she's calmed down now. Just don't make any sudden moves."

"I've been doing this since before you were born. I think I know my way around a Ter-" the Terror in Adrianna's arms began to growl menacingly. Gobber stopped bustling around and the growling stopped. "All righ' maybe not _this_ one. 'Course I'm not as familiar with her. She's new, see. Gustav just brought her home. The one he had is gettin' too old for long distances."

Adrianna felt a pang deep within her. Erick's brother. Would she be allowed to talk to _him_? Could she talk to Magnus? Even Nikolas would be a relief compared to Brandyn, and she'd never much liked him. She wasn't paying attention to what was going on until the Terror squealed in pain as Gobber yanked out her sore tooth.

"It's okay." Adrianna assured the little dragon. "You're fine."

But the Terror seemed to have realized that this was a lot better than the pains she'd had before. Her thrashing stopped and she felt the gap in her teeth for a moment before apparently deciding she preferred not having it. The brief soreness from the extraction was nothing compared to the agony of it remaining in her mouth.

"There. That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Gobber patted the Terror, who nipped his finger playfully before hopping out of Adrianna's arms and flying off, probably back to Gustav.

"No new tooth?" asked Adrianna as Gobber disposed of the old one.

"Baby tooth. It'll take a bit of time but it'll grow back." Gobber put the pliers back in the drawer.

Adrianna felt rather stupid. She'd gotten Lily after her adult teeth were in but Zap had lost all her baby teeth not long after Finn had gotten her. She'd gone through a bit of a teething stage as well. There were still marks on some of the furniture from _that_ unfortunate period of time.

"I should go." Adrianna said at last. "Stuff to do."

"Yeh never stop by anymore, Anna." Gobber shut the drawer and turned to face her. "Yeh tired of listenin' to me yammer on about the good ol' days?"

"No." Adrianna shrugged. "Just haven't been around, I guess."

Gobber smirked. "Saw yeh walking around with Erick the other day. 'S that why you're not hangin' around? Gods know you two've had a thing for each other since-"

"We're over." Adrianna interrupted. "I... we're not a couple. Or friends. Or anything."

"Oh." Gobber paused for a moment, processing this information. "Didn't realize you had a fallin' out."

"I should go." the girl repeated.

She walked out of the forge before Gobber could continue talking to her. It hadn't occurred to her just how odd it would be, not just for her but for the rest of the village if she was quite suddenly not friends with anyone except Brandyn anymore. Would anyone guess? She didn't see how they could, well, _not_ figure it out. She hoped to Thor that maybe Brandyn would grow tired of keeping her by his side. He certainly didn't like talking to her very much anymore. Why would he want her nearby all the time?

These questions, though important, simply couldn't be asked if she wanted to keep him from hurting her again. And the only way to do _that_ was to have a last conversation with Erick. The thought of telling him everything Brandyn had told her to say made her physically ill. Especially after what had happened at Troll Bridge. How could she truly expect him to buy those excuses? She had kissed him back, after all.

She hardly knew where she was going anymore. Lily poked her in the back with her snout when Adrianna stopped in front of Erick's house.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to her dragon, turning around and patting her head. "I don't… Lily, how can I…" she felt her throat constrict painfully as she tried to force down her tears. "You're my only friend now."

Lily made a sad sort of coo and looked up at her with wide yellow eyes. She flopped down on the ground, nodding her head like she wanted Adrianna to get down with her. The girl obliged, assuming the position they often took when Lily was napping and Adrianna was reading. Neither girl nor dragon cared that they were in plain view of the village.

Of all the Haddock dragons, Lily was definitely the most maternal. Perhaps raising little Signa, Charger's baby, had given her this instinct. Or maybe she'd always had it. But unlike Stormfly, who spent an inordinate amount of time grooming herself and occasionally Astrid and Finn, Lily liked to groom others. She didn't like seeing her humans in physical or emotional pain. Though she was with Adrianna most of the time, she had done her fair share of hovering around Hiccup when he was upset. More than any other dragon, she simply felt out the general mood of the Haddocks and adapted to it. On a good day, she had boundless energy and could even be seen sassing Zap quite a bit. On a bad day, she offered comfort to everyone. And on the rare occasion any of the Haddocks, especially Adrianna, was in peril, she was definitely a frightening presence.

But now, offering comfort was the only way she could help out. She hated the lingering scent of her girl's boyfriend. Adrianna had bruises in horrible places that no man should have touched without her permission. And if there were bruises, there wasn't permission. Lily knew that much. She'd seen other dragons, sporting injuries from the bites and scratches of uninterested possible mates.

They didn't know how long they'd sat there. Adrianna snuggled into the dragon's neck for what felt like hours. She didn't need the assurance that everything would be okay because she had no idea if it would. But now, all she needed was her dragon's presence.

She'd nearly forgotten why she was there when she suddenly felt the slimy sensation of an unfamiliar dragon snout in her face. She opened her eyes and the bright green face of Charger took over her vision. He squawked questioningly.

"Sorry." Adrianna said sheepishly, moving to get up. "I'll get out of your territory."

"Charger, chill." Came a voice that made the girl's blood run cold.

Erick walked over, his eyes alight with amusement at his dragon, who seemed to have been bending over her as if she was a questionable fish. He was dressed in blue today. Adrianna wasn't usually the type of person to notice what anyone was wearing but she loved Erick in blue. His favorite color suited him well.

Adrianna stood up and stared at Erick, unsure of what to do or say. How could anyone tell their best friend to go away permanently?

"You all right?" Erick asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

Adrianna hoped she assumed a neutral expression. The only way to get through this would be to shut off her emotions completely. If she thought about how he made her feel, how much she wanted to hug him and tell him what happened, how crazy he drove her, she would break down sobbing.

"I have to talk to you." She said in a dead sort of voice.

"What about?" Erick's concerned expression didn't let up and it was all Adrianna could do not to spill her secrets to him.

"We can't see each other anymore." Adrianna blurted out. "So… I'm just saying goodbye. That's all."

"What?" Erick's eyes widened with something that looked almost like… _fear_. "Did Brandyn say something?"

"No, I just… that kiss was a mistake. And I don't…" Adrianna took a deep breath. "I don't want to lead you on anymore. I know how you feel about me and it would be better for us both if we're not friends."

"Annie, if Brandyn said something—"

"He didn't say anything." Adrianna lied, her heart thumping rather hard in her ears. "I just… I thought about it and I want to be with him."

The big, sad teal eyes turned on her, making her legs feel like jelly. "But… Annie, I know the kiss was a mistake. But you kissed me back."

"I shouldn't have."

"But you did." Erick reminded her in a patient tone. "It doesn't make sense. We've been friends since we were kids, we were fine… did I do something? Did I say something?"

"No—"

"If I hurt you—"

"You didn't."

"Then why are you saying this so suddenly?" Erick stepped forward and reached out but Adrianna shied away from his advance. "Annie, you can tell me anything."

"Not anymore." Adrianna said quietly. "We're done, Erick."

"Annie—"

"Just leave me alone!" Adrianna snapped.

The Haddock girl turned around, unable to bear the sight of his saddened expression for even a second longer. For her sake, it was a good thing she didn't look back as she walked away. If she had seen the tears welling up in his eyes, the broken pieces of her heart would have shattered once again.

* * *

Erick watched in complete distress as Adrianna walked away from him. He vaguely noticed Lily croon at him sadly before she tromped after her rider. His vision swam a moment before the tears pooled down his face. He worked his jaw, wiped his face and stared at the dirt between his foot and prosthetic.

He never should have kissed her. This was his fault. He never should have hung out with her, let alone allow himself to get so caught up in how much he cared about her that he'd risk their entire relationship. Adrianna had said she wanted to think things through. Clearly she'd made her decision considering which boy she cared about more.

Erick looked at her once again, now far off in the village streets before she took a turn and disappeared. He wanted nothing more than to run after her and demand answers. He wanted her to know just how he felt; he wanted her to understand that she was being ridiculously unfair. He never should have kissed her to begin with, but why would she find it okay to jerk him around like this? To act like she'd seriously give him any consideration at all, just to yank out the rug from underneath his feet?

Charger squawked and bumped his shoulder. Erick sniffed and looked up at his dragon, distractedly patting his snout. "What now, buddy?"

Charger gave him a sad "rawk" in response before turning and running away.

Erick sighed. "Thanks for your support."

"Hey!"

Erick turned just in time to be nearly bowled over in a Cliff hug. The Larson boy gasped loudly when Cliff lifted him off the ground, squeezing him tight around his ribs.

"Gah! Cliff let go!" Erick roughly extracted himself from the curly-top's grip.

Cliff's grin fell in concern. "What's wrong?"

Erick avoided eye contact. "I don't want to talk about it."

Cliff watched him quietly. "You sure?"

Erick glared.

Cliff nodded once resolutely. "Okay then. Hey, let's go get some grub! I'm starving!"

"I'm not hungry."

"I am! Come on!" Cliff grabbed Erick's arm and nearly dragged him through the streets. "Finn said he had something to show us or something. Or maybe it was tell us something. I dunno!"

Erick sighed, pulling his arm away. "Do you ever stop being so happy?"

Cliff frowned. "Why would I want to stop being happy?"

"Oh I don't know. Maybe because some people aren't in the mood for happy right now!"

"Bruh, I am a happy guy! Happy is my middle name! I was born for adventure, the wind in my sails, curly locks flowing as I ride out into the sunset with my trusty steed Edna Louise Sacramento III, also known as Bill, as my only witness to my vast significance!"

"Cliff."

"Sorry."

The boys walked through the streets in silence from there on, Erick glaring at the ground as he went. He fought the urge to hit something. Or pull his dagger out of his boot and cause other damage.

Erick ground to a halt in the middle of the street. A young woman had to dodge him as she walked past since he'd stopped in her path. He was shocked at the sudden turn his thoughts had taken. It had been a long time since he'd had any actual thoughts of harming himself, mostly because in the last year things had been going much better. He hadn't had any reason to harm himself.

But now that Adrianna had officially dumped him, both as a friend and potential future boyfriend, he suddenly felt helpless and hated again. He hated himself for approaching her, for scaring her away, for causing Brandyn to say whatever he said to her when he found out. Whatever had happened, it was definitely his fault. And now he was fighting the urge to punish himself for it.

"You okay?"

Erick looked up at Cliff, standing a few feet away looking concerned. He needed to tell him. They were roommates after all, and best friends. He shouldn't allow himself to think those kinds of dark thoughts before it became unbearable. He didn't want to come to that point in his life again. He had to control himself, and that's why eventually Hiccup had given him a new dagger as a present and symbol of trust. Hiccup trusted him. He needed to resist temptation and do the right thing.

"Yeah." Erick said, walking in step with his friend when he caught up. "I'll… tell you later."

"Alrighty then."

The boys took the stairs to the Great Hall faster than Erick might have liked, seeing as a quarter of the way up Cliff challenged him to a race. They each took two, three stairs at a time until they reached the top, nearly tripping over each other on the way. Finn sat atop Zap by the center pillars, watching down in amusement.

"Slow pokes. You two are like a couple old ladies." Finn smirked down at them. Zap chortled in time for a random arm to slap the heir on the leg. Finn winced and mumbled an apology to the elderly woman marching into the Great Hall.

Cliff snorted. "Smooth, Finn."

"Not as smooth as your clumsy tripping and flopping around that you call a run."

"Hey!"

Erick rolled his eyes. "You guys sound like a couple bickering old women."

Finn winced. "Careful, they're not as deaf as they look."

Cliff and Erick guffawed as they followed the red-head into the Great Hall.

"You are so bad!" Erick laughed.

"Hey, he got you to smile!" Cliff cheered. "Even I couldn't do that!"

Finn elbowed Erick as they gathered food on their plates with other villagers. "Why the long face?"

Erick sighed. "I don't know… your sister…"

"Doesn't love you? That's sad."

"That's exactly it, actually."

"Eh?" Cliff mumbled around a roll sticking out of his mouth. "Whu a' 'oo 'alin' abo'?"

Erick sighed. "Long story."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Tell me you didn't understand what he just said."

"He asked what I'm talking about. So?"

Finn snorted. "You're weird."

"No, it's deductive reasoning."

Cliff spat the roll onto his plate as they sat down. "Or deductive hearing? Is that a thing?"

"It is now," Erick snickered. "So what's this big news you were telling Cliff about?"

Finn fought a grin and leaned forward. "So my dad and Gobber were being all weird this morning when I got back from hunting. They made me stand still and straight up and hold my arms out while they took measurements."

"Measurements?" Cliff asked around a mouthful of bread. "For what?"

Finn shrugged. "Dunno. But I have a theory."

"Well, you'll be seventeen," Erick mused as he poked at his food. "Your dad's been prepping you for the chieftainship lately, hasn't he?"

"Yeah," Finn said excitedly. "So… I'm wondering if they're making armor."

Cliff dropped his fork. "Wait, like legit armor made just for you? That's so cool!"

"I know! Gods that would be so cool." Finn gushed, forgetting his full plate of food.

Erick found the whole situation humorous. It was pretty rare that teenagers got armor made specifically for them, especially when they were still growing like Finn. He'd probably fill out a bit more in the next few years. But he trained so much it made perfect sense for him to get his own suit of armor. Assuming that's what they were getting measurements for anyway.

"You excited to be chief?" Erick asked casually.

Finn chewed a little slower, glancing across the crowd of people. "Yes and no. I mean…" He shrugged. "My dad's not going anywhere anytime soon and he's still in his prime, so I figure I won't have to worry about it for at least a few more years."

"Yeah, but are you looking forward to it?"

The Haddock shrugged. "When I was younger, that was the thing. It was what I most looked forward to. But to be honest… the older I get, the scarier it gets."

Erick nodded. "Makes sense. Can't be too confident I suppose."

"I'm confident." Cliff stated firmly, scraping his fork across his plate. "To be friends with the heir at all is pretty sweet, but to be friends with the future chief… I just…" Cliff placed his hand over his chest, reached out and held Finn's wrist. "I feel so honored."

Finn carefully pulled his arm back. "And suddenly I've lost my appetite."

"Oh shutup and eat, Haddock. You've never lost an appetite a day in your life."

Finn frowned; he looked like he wanted to make a comment but refrained.

Cliff sighed and shoved his plates away in time for Helga to plop down beside him. She promptly shoved his plates off the table onto the floor and leaned on the table to peer at them.

"So what's up with you and Adrianna?"

Erick's food went bitter in his mouth. He stared at his plate and carefully swallowed, trying to come up with an answer.

He saw Finn's frown out of the corner of his eye. "What do you mean?"

"Well she's been so mopy and standoffish all day and when someone asked about it, Brandyn snapped that you two had a fight."

Cliff gasped. "You did?"

Erick felt his face heat up. "No. Brandyn needs to shut his face because we didn't fight about anything."

"Whoa…" Finn exhaled with a smile. "Somebody's angry."

"I'm not angry." Erick snapped.

Finn's eyebrows disappeared into this hairline. Helga's expression read "Uh huh, sure".

Erick bit back an annoyed groan, fiddling with his fork. "It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing."

"I don't want to talk about it." Erick bit out.

"Larson-"

Cliff suddenly stood. "I think we all need some desserts. Hang tight, I'll be back friends."

"I'll go with you," Erick sighed, thankful for the distraction. He snatched his plates and followed Cliff. Just before turning away, he saw Finn give Helga a look that said "good job".

Erick didn't really want a dessert. He hadn't been very hungry anyway and had forced himself to eat, but he really wasn't feeling sweets right now. His stomach was queasy from anxiety and anger, and Helga pressing him hadn't helped matters. Cliff, however, marched up to the dessert table, surveyed his options, and finally decided on marshmallows. The entire bowl.

"Umm…" Erick frowned.

"What?" Cliff asked, holding the bowl possessively to his chest.

Erick pointed over his shoulder, where three little girls were standing with wide eyes at the very tall teenager who'd confiscated the bowl of sugary goodness.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Here, take as many as you want." Cliff bent down. The girls giggled and snatched handfuls of marshmallows before taking off, dropping a few along the way.

Erick shook his head with a smile when Cliff followed him back to the table.

"Alright friends," Cliff announced, cutting off Finn and Helga's conversation. "I have a new game to teach you."

Finn leaned against his fist, shooting a glance at Erick when he sat beside him. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes. The idea, my pupils," Cliff held up a few marshmallows. "Is to see how many marshmallows you can fit into your mouth before you can't put any more in."

Helga snorted. "Or until you choke."

"Basically."

Erick sighed. "Oh Thor."

"Come on, Larson, it'll be fun." Cliff promptly opened his mouth and began stuffing marshmallows into it..

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Naw, of cou'wth not!"

"Cliff."

"Whawt?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"'ey, I am fantabuwouth and 'ou know it!"

Erick shook his head, ducking his eyes behind his open palm in a feeble attempt to block the other boy from his view. Finn's shoulders shook beside him, desperately trying to hold back laughter. Erick chanced a look at the Smedley boy one more time. Cliff gave him a not-so-subtle wink as he tried to shove another marshmallow into his mouth.

"I caw it the Chu'ee Bu'ee," Cliff said through a mouthful.

Helga grinned. "The what now?"

"The Chu'ee Bu'ee."

Erick shook his head. "What?"

Cliff stuffed another marshmallow into his mouth, rolled his eyes and pulled a charcoal pencil out of his pocket. He quickly wrote the words "Chubby Bunny" on the old wood.

"Chubby Bunny?" Finn read aloud. "Why?"

"I 'on't 'ow," Cliff said, grabbing two more sugary puffs from the bowl in front of him. "'at's 'ust wha' I 'all it."

Erick swallowed thickly. "You're going to make me gag."

Right on cue, Cliff slapped a hand over his mouth and breathed deeply, sending a wrathful glare at the Larson boy. "Shu'up."

Finn pounded the table competitively. "Two more! Come on, Smedley!"

"No!" Erick chided. "How would we get that out of his throat if he choked?"

Helga nodded. "Good point. Ten gold coins says he can't get five more in there."

"You're on, Bones!" Finn slapped her hand.

"Oh gods," Erick sighed, watching as Cliff carefully pushed more into his mouth. "How many do you have in there?" Cliff carefully held up his hands. "Ten? Oh come on, no more, please?"

Taryn walked past their table a moment later, Inga on her heels. Both girls paused, taking in the scene with amusement on their faces. Cliff shrugged his eyebrows at Taryn, but then bent over into giggles.

"Cliff, that's disgusting!" Taryn chided, but they could tell she was holding back a smile.

Finn slapped the table with both hands. "Come on, two more!"

Erick watched in fear and amazement as Cliff managed to stuff two more in his mouth. "That's twelve."

"Can he make it to fifteen?" Helga cheered.

Cliff suddenly shook his head, eyes wide. He quickly turned to the side and proceeded to spit out the massive gob of slobbery marshmallows. A resounding "OHHHHHH" echoed through the Great Hall from the teenager's table, Taryn promptly marching away with a pronounced squeal of disgust.

Ignoring the kids' laughter, Cliff threw away the marshmallows into the nearest trash can. It was then that he noticed Hiccup and Toothless standing beside the trash can, giving him a curious (and disgusted) look. Toothless ducked his head into the trash can and sniffed before pulling back with a repulsed growl.

Cliff gave them a slimy salute. "Gotta live while you're young, chief!"

Erick shared a snicker with Hiccup before Cliff returned to the table and the chief moved on. The Larson boy honestly didn't know how he'd become friends with such a weirdo. Finn and Helga were still bickering over their bet.

"Eugh, that was disgusting," Erick said when Cliff sat down.

"Aw come on, it was fun." Cliff grinned. He smacked his lips together for a moment before jumping back up. "I need a drink. Brb!"

Erick blinked at the empty space before him. "Brb?"

"Be right back!" Helga chimed. "Duh!"

"Yeah, duh!" Finn smirked, ignoring the slap on his arm from the blonde. "Shouldn't you know these things?"

Erick waved a hand. "I take these things with a grain of salt."

Cliff quickly returned with a drink in hand, already half empty. "You guys need more adventure in your lives."

Erick snorted. "If that's an adventure, I think I've had more than my fair share."

"Aw come on, Rickypoo, that was noth-"

"RICKYPOO?" Erick exclaimed.

Finn and Helga erupted into laughter; Cliff merely held out his arms. "I say whatever comes to mind, okay? You should be used to it by now!"

"Oh no, I'll never get used to this sort of madness."

"Someone's gotta keep you on your toes!"

Erick rolled his eyes and took a long drink from his mug. He listened to Finn and Helga's banter intently, even though his eyes strayed to a certain blonde sitting a few tables away. Helga was right. Even though Adrianna had claimed she was happier with Brandyn, she looked miserable sitting next to him. There were a few inches of space between them, but as if the guy could sense his thoughts, Brandyn snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. Adrianna instantly tensed and generally looked uncomfortable.

However, he could tell she was putting up a front. Erick had known her since they were toddlers. He knew when she was uncomfortable with something. But he also knew when she wanted to show that discomfort. Adrianna had been through many terrible things in her life and she'd gotten quite good at hiding her true emotions. Most times she wouldn't hide her feelings from people; she was most natural wearing her heart on her sleeve, just like her father. But the slight wrinkle of her brow, tight line of her mouth, and slight hunch of her shoulders were like red flags to Erick.

She didn't like him touching her.

More and more as time went on, Erick despised the guy. He didn't even know why, but since day one he felt like he could see right through him. He didn't know who the guy was or what his aim was, but something about him just felt… wrong.

Of course, he'd never acted on such suspicions. He'd always chalked it up to jealousy, even back when he and Adrianna still weren't talking. He'd ditched her and she'd run to Brandyn with open arms. It was almost as if he'd been so easily replaceable, like their friendship hadn't mattered all that much if she'd gotten a new friend, particularly a guy, so quickly after their fallout.

Then there was the kiss. If not for the stupid kiss he just couldn't resist, he might still entertain those thoughts of self-degradation and pin himself down as the mere best friend who'd be nothing more. He'd been so sure she'd shove him away. But when she'd melted into his arms and kissed him back, he suddenly knew she had to have some feelings for him. Even if she was dating Brandyn for this long, she wouldn't have allowed a kiss to happen if she didn't feel anything at all. Right?

"Are you okay?"

Erick turned to Finn in surprise. "Yeah, sorry. Spaced out."

Finn didn't spare him a glance, leaning forward. "Not you. Cliff. Are you okay?"

Erick faced forward and he instantly stiffened. In the mere minutes since he'd looked at his friend last, Cliff's face had paled considerably and his hands shook against the table.

"Hey," Erick reached out and grabbed his friend's arm. "What's wrong?"

Cliff moaned. "I don't feel good all of a sudden."

"You don't look good all of a sudden," Finn said worriedly.

"Must have been the Chubby Bunny." Helga snickered.

"Helga, this isn't funny," Erick stood and walked around the table.

"Should we find Mara?" Finn asked.

"No…" Cliff mumbled through his hands. "Don't bother her right now."

"We've got someone closer." Finn turned around and waved to a nearby table. "Inga! Hey, come here!"

From his seat beside Cliff, Erick glanced up and saw Inga leave her table and walk over. "What?"

"Something's wrong with Cliff."

Erick felt Cliff begin to shake. "Hey, do you need water?" The teenager shook his head and rested his arms on the table. If it was possible for someone to pale more, he did.

Inga gasped, leaning down to feel his forehead. "Whoa. Okay, yes, water."

Finn stood to get water, but Cliff suddenly clambered to his feet. Inga grasped his shoulders. "Cliff, I want you to sit down."

Cliff shook his head and teetered past her. She grabbed his arm, but he rushed in front of the trash can once again in time to expel the contents of his stomach. Erick stood behind his friend in shock, a hand on his back in comfort but Inga suddenly pushed him back.

"Go get Mara! Right now!"

Erick didn't know why Cliff was suddenly so sick, but it didn't seem to be like any flu bug he'd seen before. It definitely hadn't been that fast when he got sick a few weeks ago. The worry in Inga's eyes forced him to turn away and look for the healer, who also happened to be Cliff's aunt.

He jogged through the endless tables until he found his mother. "Mom! Where's Mara?"

Lara raised an eyebrow. "How should I know? I don't keep track-"

"Mom, this is urgent! Have you seen her?"

"No. What's wrong?

Erick looked around the Hall once again, ignoring her growing concern. "Find Cliff's mom." He finally spied Mara talking to some women a few yards away and ran toward her. "Mara!"

Mara's easy smile evaporated when she saw the worry on his face. "What is it?"

"Cliff." Erick pointed to the general area. "I don't know but one minute he was fine, the next-"

Mara moved past him and ran through the endless tables toward the teenager's section. Inga and Finn were kneeling beside Cliff, who seemed to be violently ill.

"Oh gods," Mara murmured, shooing Finn out of the way. "Cliff, try to breathe slow, honey."

Cliff shook his head, his body nearly heaving of its own accord. His forehead beaded with sweat and body wracked with shivers so much that Mara wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Finn grasped Erick's elbow and backed him up. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know," Finn murmured.

"What's going on?"

The boys turned to see Hiccup walking up at a brisk pace.

"Mara, is he okay?" Hiccup asked in concern.

"I don't know." Mara muttered, accepting a cup of water from Inga. "Cliff, try to drink some of this."

Cliff shook his head, panting and shivering. Watching him struggle was painful to watch. "W-what's w-wrong with me?"

"It's just a bug, honey-"

"N-no, I was f-fine f-five minutes ago." Cliff groaned. "Oh gods."

"Back up!" Mara shooed everyone back just as Cliff launched himself toward the trash can again and threw up again, this time his knees buckling.

Hiccup backed the boys up, even as Mara kept telling her nephew everything was fine. It was definitely not fine.

"Dad, something is very wrong," Finn said in a shaky voice.

Hiccup faced him, green eyes hard. "Does he have allergies?"

"Cliff!" The boys moved out of the way as his mother, Thalia ran past and joined her sister in comforting the teen, even as he threw up once again.

"Boys. Does he have an allergy?"

"No!" Erick shook his head. "Not that we know of."

"What was he eating and drinking?"

Finn held up his hands. "The same stuff we had! We're fine! Besides if it was food poisoning, more people would be getting sick."

Hiccup sighed. "I know. What was he drinking?"

"I don't know what, but that was his cup." Erick pointed to the table.

Hiccup turned and grabbed the cup, ignoring Helga who was still sitting there, now white as a sheet. "Helga, you alright?"

The girl shook herself. "Yeah! Yeah, chief, just… shaken I guess."

Hiccup nodded and looked inside the cup. "Looks like water."

Finn held Erick's arms. "I hope it wasn't the marshmallows."

"But he didn't eat those."

"Doesn't mean there wasn't something on them."

"Marshmallows?" Hiccup asked, remembering the Chubby Bunny incident.

Erick gasped. "The little girls. Oh man."

"What little- Erick!"

Erick pushed through the crowds, looking for the three little girls who'd taken marshmallows from the bowl. He could hear Hiccup marching behind him but he pressed forward, skimming faces until finally one little girl looked familiar. She sat at a table beside her two friends, all giggling at their piles of marshmallows that now looked like little snowmen.

Erick sighed in relief. "Never mind."

"They ate marshmallows too?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, but they seem to be fine."

Hiccup made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat and held up the cup. He swiped an empty bowl off a nearby table, dumped the leftover broth onto the floor and poured the water out of the cup. He held the cup into the nearest torchlight and inspected inside.

Erick frowned with mounting concern. "What are you looking for?"

Hiccup scowled and swiped a finger along the inside of the cup. When he pulled it out, a white residue covered his fingertip. He looked at Erick and asked, "Do you know what this is?"

Erick swallowed. "Should I?"

The chief didn't answer. He turned and marched back toward the group, where Cliff had seemed to run out of energy and things to throw up. Mara and Inga had lain him down on his back, where he'd thrown an arm over his eyes and continually whimpered in pain. Thalia brushed his hair back in an attempt at comfort. The healer and assistant were discussing moving him to the healing house when Hiccup stepped into the group.

"Look in the cup."

Mara shared a concerned look before she took it and also checked the inside. She felt the residue between her fingers before gently applying some to the tip of her tongue. A dark look overcame her features.

"Let's get him to my house. Then we'll talk."

Hiccup nodded and turned toward the crowd full of busy-body villagers crowding the group, calmly but firmly asking everyone to back up and give the healer space.

Mara began issuing orders for people to do something helpful or go away. Erick backed up, unsure where he could be most useful when his friend was lying on the cold stone floor looking as if he was dying. He hoped to every god that existed that he wasn't. He hadn't been very kind to him and other than Adrianna, he'd never had a better friend. He couldn't lose both in one day. He couldn't.

"Hey, he'll be okay." Hiccup said, standing next to him.

"What's wrong with him? What is that stuff?" Erick demanded.

Hiccup pursed his lips. "I don't want it getting out in here. We'll talk at Mara's."

"But-"

Hiccup gave him a look and he closed his mouth. Erick sighed and nodded. "See you there."

The chief marched off, leaving him standing there feeling overall helpless and confused. Finn and Helga didn't look any better. Even Taryn standing nearby looked distressed. They were all so concerned; Cliff had been completely fine one minute and the next…

That's when Erick caught Adrianna's eye from the other side of the room. She instantly looked away as if she didn't care, as if one of her good friend's wasn't extremely sick or worse. Then, he saw Brandyn's calculating smirk being sent his way.

Brandyn, who'd been nothing more than a mere rival for the girl they both cared for, had suddenly taken on a new light in Erick's eyes. Adrianna's strange attitude and actions; Cliff suddenly getting sick after being perfectly fine; the subtle look being sent his way, like a warning. They had to be connected somehow.

Erick didn't know if his suspicions were right, but he knew something was seriously off about this whole thing. If he was right and he found out Brandyn was hurting his friends to threaten him, to make him leave Adrianna alone, he was surely mistaken. He would not be chased away so easily and he would not lose friends in the process.

If he was wrong… then maybe Cliff really did have a sudden allergy or had gotten a bad sickness very quickly. Maybe the residue in the cup was nothing more than dried soap from a poor wash job half-finished. If he was wrong, maybe Adrianna hated him after all.

* * *

Brandyn's fingers pressed into Adrianna's wrist as they watched the events unfold. Cliff repeatedly vomited into a trash bin until his knees buckled. Inga and Finn held him steady but the curly-haired boy seemed to be struggling for control over his own body.

When Erick returned with Mara, who quickly checked on her nephew, Adrianna fought the urge to tear her wrist from Brandyn's grasp and run over. Her friend was ailing, more than ailing. Something was extremely wrong and she wanted to be there at least for support if she couldn't do anything to help. The worry on everyone's faces was evident.

But Brandyn's grip tightened when she so much as shifted on the bench. From the corner of her eye, she could see him staring at her imposingly.

A few minutes later, the adults helped Cliff onto a stretcher and a few men carried him out. She nearly gasped when she caught a glimpse of Cliff's condition from the corner of her eye. Pale, sweaty, hard breathing and an overall expression of pain. When Erick caught her eye, she looked away and stared at the table, unsure what to do. She hoped he wouldn't approach their table. She didn't know what Brandyn would do and she didn't want things to get messier.

Finally, Brandyn's grip relaxed on her wrist and she quickly pulled away, cradling it in her other hand. She didn't want to look down at it, but could tell by the sensation of her swelling skin that it would bruise. She glanced up through her hair to see that her friends had dispersed through the Great Hall, or disappeared altogether. She wished Erick would come back.

Brandyn's hand suddenly drifted onto her thigh and she squirmed away. Brandyn slid closer, wrapped an arm around her waist and mashed her side into his, forbidding her from moving away.

"Where do you think you're going?" He murmured into her hair, a genuine smile on his face.

Adrianna's heart pounded. To anyone watching, this wouldn't look out of place. He'd pulled her closer countless times before now. The only thing she had to do now was force herself to look happy about it, when really all she wanted to do was run away from him.

She turned her head away from his probing lips, which grazed her ear. Her stomach threatened to heave. "W-what did you do to Cliff?"

Brandyn breathed a laugh. "Don't tell me you'd rather talk about that loser?'

Adrianna faced him head on, attempting courage. "What did you do."

He rolled his eyes and sighed, playing with the hair at her neck. Adrianna focused on his other hand reaching into a pocket on his belt, even as he spoke casually as if they were talking about the weather or a regular date. She saw a small vial inside the pouch before he closed it again.

Her eyes widened and she stared at him. "What is that?"

"A warning," Brandyn smiled, brushing her hair back. Despite the smile, she could see the danger in his eyes. "The next one dies."

Adrianna ground her teeth together, fighting emotion. "I can't help it if they talk to me."

"Yes, you can." Brandyn smiled humorlessly. "You don't talk to them."

A flare of anger riddled Adrianna's system. "How long do you expect to keep this up? You won't be able to fool everyone forever."

Brandyn's grip on her neck tightened, which remained hidden underneath her long hair. "Don't. Test. Me." He threatened quietly. "Because I don't think you'll want a little repeat of our last episode together, if you know what I mean. Just do as I ask, because I care about you, and nothing will go wrong. Is that so hard?"

Adrianna tried to gather her courage, but it seemed to shrivel away under his gaze. Finally, she pushed his arm off her shoulder and stood. "I'm late for work."

"See you for dinner." Brandyn smiled knowingly. "Hold on." He stood and before she could move away, he firmly planted a kiss on her mouth. Adrianna fought the urge to jerk away, knowing in a public place people would notice her displeasure if she displayed it so openly. Finally, he had enough and pulled away, smiling victoriously before the look morphed into his usual, honest smile. "See you later."

Adrianna turned and walked away, but not before he slapped her behind as she passed. She yelped and walked quicker, ducking her head when a random adult gave her a shrewd look. If only they knew what was really going on.

She nearly ran down the stairs. If not for the soreness in her muscles from Brandyn's cruelty, she might have sprinted. She wanted to get down to the healer's as fast as possible to see what was wrong with Cliff.

Adrianna froze at the bottom of the steps. She couldn't do that, could she? She couldn't check on Cliff. She couldn't talk to Erick anymore. She couldn't even ask Inga or Taryn; she couldn't risk their safety!

She wanted to help and be there for her friends. Her _real_ friends. They were the ones who really cared about her. She really cared about them deep down. She couldn't keep up this façade of false loyalty to Brandyn when she really didn't have an ounce of feelings for him anymore. Not after what he did. Not after what he was making her do and then doing to her friends on top of it.

Adrianna sighed, wishing she could march back into that Hall, slap him in the face and tell everyone how terrible he was. But she knew she couldn't do it that way. She had to be smarter than that.

"Guess I'll have to go home and… wait for results." Adrianna sighed.

She wished she had work today; she'd only told Brandyn that to get away from him. She was surprised he hadn't remembered that she never worked on Saturdays. Or maybe he knew all along and he was just letting her go. How kind of him.

With every passing day, she was coming to hate him more and more. She wished she'd never invited him here. She wished she'd never reached out and become friends with him. No. She wished she'd never even met him.

And now she was stuck with him.


	7. Pushed to the Limit

The patients at Mara's were startled when the door flung open with a loud bang. They barely had time for their heart rates to slow before a Cliff Smedley was wheeled in on a stretcher, family and friends following close behind.

"Stay back!" Mara was saying, her hand outstretched. "I can't get a good look at him when you crowd around me like this."

"What's wrong with him?" blurted out the boy's mother, Thalia.

Cliff let out a low groan and shifted slightly on the stretcher.

"Listen to me," Mara said, sauntering over to Thalia as Finn and Erick helped lift Cliff onto a bed, "I need you to calm down, Thalia. Panic won't help him."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Just calm down. Take some deep breaths." Mara put out her arms in a placating gesture. "Vernon, please."

Vernon Smedley put his arms around his wife and stroked her hair. This seemed to have a calming effect on Thalia, who seemed to melt in his embrace, tears falling silently down her face.

"Hiccup, I need you for a second." Mara beckoned to the Hooligan chief and opened the door to a back room. "Inga, keep him stable, okay?"

"Okay." Inga replied, putting some cloths on Cliff's forehead.

Hiccup found himself shoved into the empty room. Mara shut the door a bit too loudly behind her.

"Do you know who would want to poison Cliff?" she asked solemnly once the noise of outside was safely blocked out.

Hiccup felt his stomach clench. "Poison? No."

Mara pulled out a small vial of liquid from a nearby drawer. "Ipecac." she said simply, placing it into Hiccup's hand. "It's meant to induce vomiting. In small doses, it's harmless but that amount in Cliff's drink..."

Hiccup held up the liquid. "So why put it in? Not your conventional poison. It's not even poison, really."

"I suppose an overdose could be dangerous but Cliff seems to have expelled it, thank Thor." Mara said with a sigh of relief. "He should be okay."

"So why are you asking me this?"

"Because I don't want to put Berk on alert." Mara replied. "This could be an accident. Perhaps it got in there by mistake. I don't know but if it was deliberate, that means one of us did it. Someone from Berk. Unless there have been foreign visitors?"

Hiccup tensed, thinking of Roscoe, but quickly pushed the thought from his mind. "There were but they never went near the Great Hall. Far as I know, they left before lunch."

"Then it was one of us." Mara said darkly. "Do you want to go public with the information?"

"No." said Hiccup. "Not yet. Like you said, we want to wait and see. I'll tell the council and Cliff's parents and friends but I think we need to keep this secret for now. If we start pointing fingers, we could cause a riot and no one wants that. Not after..." he stopped himself from mentioning the events of two years previous.

Mara seemed to understand what he had almost said. "All right. Let me go care for my patient. If you don't mind, could you clear out the space? I want to give him some air and he can't get that with people pressing in on him."

"Of course." Hiccup said with a small smile, mostly relieved that Cliff would recover.

They exited the room and were instantly bombarded with questions.

"Later." said Mara firmly. "Now I want the teens to step out. Vernon, Thalia, come with me."

"But Mara-"

"Yes, Erick. I mean you too. Hiccup will update you." Mara beckoned toward Cliff's parents and the three of them entered the curtained off area, from which they could still hear the occasional groan.

"What's wrong with him?" Erick immediately asked Hiccup.

"Outside." Hiccup pointed to the door, eyeing the other patients, who seemed to be listening with interest.

Finn, Inga, Helga, and Erick nearly threw themselves outside in their haste. Hiccup carefully closed the door and beckoned them toward the woods. He didn't want them to be overheard and the last thing Berk needed was widespread panic. Astrid, who was running down the hill to the healer's, gave him an inquisitive look and he jerked his head in the direction he was leading the teens.

"Okay, we're alone." Finn said once Hiccup had led them far enough into the woods that they wouldn't be overheard. "What's wrong with Cliff?"

"Poison." Hiccup replied simply. "It's not deadly and he'll recover but I need to ask you all if you have seen anything suspicious. Anything at all."

"You don't think... not one of us!" Erick looked around at his friends, his eyes wide. "We'd never-"

"I'm not asking if it was one of you." Hiccup clarified. "I'm asking if you can think of _anyone_ who would poison Cliff. Anyone with a grudge against him."

Astrid and the teens were silent for a moment. Erick furrowed his brow in concentration.

"No one." Inga said finally. "He's one of the nicest people I know."

"A little annoying maybe." Helga added. "But not enough that anyone would want to kill him."

"I don't think he had any enemies like that." Finn finished. "Erick? You're his best friend."

Erick sighed deeply and shook his head. "I can't think of anyone would would want to target him, Hiccup. Not like that. He never gets into fights and he usually stops if someone tells him to. Honestly, I have no idea who could have done this."

Hiccup's heart sank. He trusted Erick. Heck, he trusted _all_ of them completely. If they didn't know who had done it... maybe it _was_ an accident.

"You can go, guys." he said after a long pause. "Thanks. Just don't... don't crowd him, all right?"

"Got it." Erick nodded.

As the teens traipsed away, all looking slightly downtrodden, Astrid turned to her husband with a worried expression.

"You don't think this was an accident, do you?" she asked in a low voice so the teens wouldn't hear.

Hiccup shook his head. "Ipecac isn't the kind of thing you put in someone's cup by mistake. I could understand if he ingested soap by mistake but how do you accidentally drug someone?"

* * *

Erick couldn't believe just how horribly this day was going. He didn't know what he did to be punished by the gods so cruelly, but he simply didn't understand it. First, Adrianna had to crush his heart and soul without any explanation. Then some jerk had to poison his best friend? He was sure jolly good fun times were just around the corner.

He tried to ignore his pessimistic thoughts, but he'd been through a lot in his eighteen years of life. Both his father's and sister's unexpected deaths had taken a toll on his formerly optimistic nature. Months of self-loathing had nearly shredded his self-esteem as much as the blade had against his flesh. It seemed when bad things happened, they could only get worse from then on.

Through the next few hours he tagged along with Finn and another boy, Thorein, trying to occupy themselves while they waited for word on Cliff. Erick only half-listened as the two boys discussed various things like dragon racing skills and girl talk. He was finding it difficult to concentrate. Small talk was never his thing after all. He always liked the deeper content.

Erick focused on Thorein as he spoke. The sociable teenager always seemed to be smirking about something, whether he was getting himself into mischief or flirting with the girls. Between all the boys, Thorein was probably the "ladies' man" out of the lot. From speaking to Adrianna in the past few months, Erick had discovered that the girls considered Erick the big brother type anyone could get advice from, Finn was the rugged, hot one with the glory and esteemed future, and Thorein was the handsome, likable, easy-to-talk-to guy who could get along with anybody. Then there was Cliff, who was a category of man in his own complete way.

Erick's heart panged sadly. He wished he could be with his friend.

"You're off your rocker," Finn snorted in response to something Thorein had said.

"Oh please," The brown-haired boy scoffed. "Like you wouldn't go for her if the opportunity arose."

Finn shrugged. "I mean, she's nice and all, but she's not really my type. Besides, I don't try on every sock until I find the right fit."

"Ouch," Thorein snickered, seemingly unoffended. "What about you, Larson? You've dated her. Got any advice for me?"

"Huh?" Erick asked in surprise. He thought quickly. "Oh, Taryn?"

"Yeah, weren't you listening?"

"Sorry, my mind's on more than just girls."

Thorein gasped, a hand on his chest. "Geez, two for two. You two are a hard case. No, but seriously, would Taryn go out with me?"

Erick made a face and shrugged. "Taryn knows what she wants and, more specifically, what she doesn't want. If you want to know, I'd ask her if I was you."

"Everything's cool between you two?"

"Yup." Erick nodded, feeling rather bland and neutral about the conversation.

"Intriguing advice there," Finn smirked.

Erick rolled his eyes. "Not really in the mood for dishing out dating advice right now, fellas. I've got my own girl problems to deal with."

"Ohhhh drama!" Thorein bounced on the balls of his feet excitedly. "Do tell!"

"Nah that's okay…"

"Oh come on! You can't say stuff like that and not spill the beans!"

Finn held up a finger. "Umm bad things happen when you spill the beans."

Thorein rolled his eyes. "That's fresh, coming from you, Fearless Finn."

That got Erick to smile, at least a little bit. He shook his head and decided it was time to make his exit before they made him unload his baggage.

"I'm going to go take a walk," He turned toward the forestline nearby. "I'll catch you guys later."

"Aw, but you still have to teach us all your wise dating advice!" Thorein called after him.

Erick turned with his hands akimbo. "Thorein, the girls flock around you as if you're Thor himself! Even more than they do for Finn! What do you need _me_ for!"

Thorein smirked "One should never stop learning!"

Erick rolled his eyes. "Yes, because all my dating experiences have just been flawless."

"Exactly why we want to hear your advice! You're the most successful failure here!" Finn grinned.

Erick frowned, fighting a smile. He knew they meant it as a joke, so he shouldn't be hypersensitive. But in light of his most recent failures and Adrianna's decision to ditch him for Brandyn…

He rolled his eyes and turned away, leaving them cackling in the street. "Make your own mistakes!"

"But I would much rather learn from yours! It's easier that way!"

"No, thank you!"

"At least tell me what Taryn's favorite flower is!"

"BYE, THOREIN."

Erick quickly marched into the woods, ignoring the two boy's laughter until finally the serene atmosphere of the forest enveloped him. He slowed to a walk and sighed, trying to sort out his thoughts.

Adrianna. Brandyn. Cliff. None of it made sense.

He didn't know why Adrianna had so suddenly cut him off, like they had nothing. He knew there was something there, and the way she'd kissed him back she had to know it too. So what reason would she have to cut ties? If she just wanted to be faithful to her boyfriend, that would be fine. If she wanted time to work things out with him and decide who she wanted to be with, that would be totally fine. Any explanation would have been nice, regardless of what said explanation could be. But he'd gotten none.

Maybe when she told Brandyn about the kiss, he'd gotten mad. Maybe…

Erick stopped in his tracks. Maybe Brandyn had told her to stop talking to him. But that would be ridiculous, right? He wasn't her husband so he didn't hold any jurisdiction over her. She didn't have to do what he said.

Was he just being a control freak? Or did he really care about Adrianna so much that _nothing_ would get between them, including her childhood best friend?

He'd never considered himself a threat before. But suddenly everything became clearer in the grand scheme of things. He and Brandyn had always held a general dislike for each other; Erick could never decide if Adrianna was the reason or just no chemistry to create a general friendship. No similarities, shared hobbies, or common interests.

Except Adrianna.

Erick growled and kicked a loose pebble into the nearby bushes. He hated feeling like a vulture fighting another vulture for a piece of meat. He didn't want to fight over her like that. She wasn't a prize to be won; she was a person, an amazing, smart, beautiful young woman who they both cared about! Why couldn't they put their differences aside and learn to get along for her sake, and let her decide how to make her next move?

However, over the last year, Brandyn had been getting increasingly more dominant when it came to his girlfriend or group activities. He didn't seem to come across as abusive, but little by little things began to bother Erick. Most of the time it was subtle, but the little glint in the guy's eye whenever he saw Erick looking, like he was the king of the universe with his prize, was enough to make Erick want to punch him in the face.

So what if Brandyn had gotten _really_ upset that Erick had kissed her, and Adrianna had kissed him back, and he'd forcefully told her to stop talking to him?

If that was the case, it would explain the lack of explanation. But why the fear? Erick knew when she was afraid. He could identify it in every subtle facial expression.

Erick's thoughts drifted to Cliff, and a sudden thought occurred to him. What if _Brandyn_ had poisoned Cliff? The thought was absurd at first; why would he have any reason to hurt Cliff, who was basically harmless? Sure he talked a lot and he could drive even the chief up the wall sometimes, but if the situation was serious enough, Cliff could put a cork in it. It was impressive that he could stop at all, knowing how much the boy could talk.

But that's not ample reason enough to _kill_ him.

A series of thoughts flooded Erick's mind so much he struggled to grasp for one to focus on. What if Brandyn told Adrianna to stop talking to _everyone_? Was he that much of a control freak? Was she even safe with him anymore? The poison in the cup wasn't enough to kill Cliff, or he would have died. What if it was just enough to make a point? What if-

A cry of laughter interrupted Erick's montage of thought processes. Luckily, he knew that laugh anywhere and ducked behind some thicker trees before the couple ran by from a few yards away. He rolled his eyes at Brandyn's flirty comment to the girl. He wanted to puke, assuming it was Adrianna. However, when he mentally prepared himself to look around the tree and see Adrianna with another guy, he didn't expect to see Dana in her place.

Erick stared in open shock as Dana replied to something Brandyn said, slapped his chest, and then roughly grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him. Brandyn instantly backed her into the nearest tree and began kissing her hard and fast.

Things started heating up so quickly, Erick whipped around and stared at the other trees with wide eyes. He was pretty sure his face was flushed; to an extent, it didn't matter who was making out, he certainly didn't want to watch.

But this…

He was going to kill him. He wanted nothing more than to run over and knock the guy to high heaven for this. That Brandyn would _dare_ freak out about his and Adrianna's kiss and force her to stop talking to him for cheating, and he'd been cheating on Adrianna this _whole_ time? The way they were kissing, it was obvious this wasn't their first tryst.

Erick crept out of his hiding place as quietly as possible and went back to the village the way he came. How he managed to hide from them and not look back at the same time, he didn't know; he suspected they were too wrapped up in each other to think anyone would be out here.

Finally, he stomped back into the village, thoughts awhirl. He wanted to find Hiccup, but knew the chief was busy all afternoon. And now with Cliff sick at the healers and a fiend on the loose, Hiccup's plate was probably even more filled.

But he could tell Adrianna. Erick turned tail and ran to the Haddock's house, not stopping once. He nearly bowled over a few people in the process, which he shouted apologies over his shoulder in his haste. His stump began to hurt by the time he reached the Haddocks'.

He walked the last several yards until he reached the door. He wiped the sweat off his face and checked his hair, wondering how he was actually going to say this. In his haste, he'd forgotten that she'd been dating him for the last almost two years. That's a long time to give your heart to someone. She'd already been hurt by so many people in her life. She didn't deserve this! But he couldn't hide the truth from her. He had to protect her.

Erick raised a fist and knocked on the door. He heard shuffling coming from the inside and his stomach twisted into knots. The door swung open to reveal Astrid.

"Hi Erick," The matriarch smiled and swung the door open. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, um…" Erick brushed his hair back again. "I… need to talk to Anna."

Astrid twisted her lips as she thought. "She's not here; I think she's out for the rest of the day. At least until dinner."

"Oh." Erick remarked flatly.

"Everything okay?" Astrid asked as she marched over to the kitchen table, where a large assortment of weapons had been laid out. Erick looked over the collection with a mixture of interest and trepidation.

"Not really…" Erick sighed, wondering if he should tell her. She'd be the next person to tell after Adrianna and Hiccup, after all.

"What's going on?" Astrid asked.

"Well-"

A loud squawk interrupted him as Sharpshot zipped into the room through a hole in the ceiling. He landed on Astrid's shoulder and stuck out his foot; Astrid accepted the note and sighed at its contents.

"Sorry Erick, I have to run to the Academy." Astrid frowned, scooping up her favorite axe and strapping it to her back. "Do you want to come with me and tell me what's going on?"

An emergency at the Academy was never a good thing. He knew she'd be too distracted by him or the other circumstance to be able to focus on both. He battled with himself on which was more important (obviously Adrianna), but she couldn't shirk her duties as the chief's wife, especially if Hiccup himself sent his personal Terror to call.

"No, you go ahead," Erick waved an arm. "I'll catch you later."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. It's fine." Erick followed her out to the porch and watched as she jumped into Stormfly's saddle.

"All right, I'll talk to you later then." Astrid smiled, then directed her dragon to take off.

Erick sighed as he watched her leave, wishing for once that his best friends' parents weren't the leaders of the tribe.

* * *

A common favorite Berkian meal consisted of roasted chicken, potatoes and gravy, hot rolls, warm cider, and Grandma Ingerman's homemade brownies. With every tasty treat and delicacy accounted for, everyone was happy and content to sit around the table with friends or family, partake in good food and happy discussion.

All except one.

Erick picked at his food with an angry scowl. Originally he'd chosen to sit at a table alone to stew in his anger, but soon his table had filled with random teenagers without his consent. Obviously the table wasn't really _his_ , so they didn't need to ask his permission to sit there. But still, just about everyone knew that when Erick Larson sat alone, it was more than likely on purpose.

The teenagers cracked up about something Thorein said, especially the girls. Erick resisted the urge to fling a gob of mashed potatoes at him. Literally everything anybody said right now drove him up the wall. There were serious issues going on right now and all they had time for was jokes and games. Granted, none of them knew about the problems with Brandyn and Adrianna, but they knew about Cliff. Finn joining in the fun and games wasn't helping his mood.

They still hadn't received word yet if Cliff was okay. If Mara didn't send him a message soon, he was going to barge in there himself and demand answers.

He glared through his bangs at the couple sitting across the room. Brandyn had himself all up in Adrianna's business as if her discomfort made no difference to him. It didn't help that the only other people at the table were Dana, Cale, Frey and a few other teenagers whom Erick _knew_ she despised. Why did she _insist_ on hanging out with those people?

Brandyn _had_ to be forcing her into it. She seriously couldn't put up with this forever. But he knew once she found out about Brandyn was cheating on her with Dana, she'd surely dump him. Hiccup would get involved. Things would be okay.

It was these thoughts alone that had kept him in his seat for so long.

He'd wanted to approach Hiccup before dinner, but found the chief to be extremely busy. In fact, he'd only just arrived at the Great Hall a few minutes ago, looking rather irritated. He wasn't sure why. Maybe he'd had just about as rough a day as Erick.

Erick gritted his teeth together when he saw Brandyn slide his filthy hands around Adrianna's waist and pull her even closer. She wasn't even hiding her discomfort anymore. Now why didn't somebody _do_ something, that was the real question.

He looked around for Hiccup and Astrid, a council member, or anybody who claimed to be close to the Haddocks. Even Finn. All of them were completely occupied in their own little worlds, oblivious to Brandyn's blatantly obvious mistreatment of _his_ best friend, the _chief's_ daughter!

The thought nearly choked Erick. He'd had it. He wouldn't wait a second longer for a moment with the chief or for the "right time" to talk to Adrianna herself, or heck, wait for Finn to wake up and look past his own nose. He wasn't going to wait for someone else to take care of this.

He was going to take care of it right here, right now.

As if on cue, Brandyn promptly stood up from his table and marched toward the drink stand. Erick saw his chance and nearly slammed his palms into the table in his haste to confront the other teenager. He vaguely registered a comment in his direction from somebody, but he was so caught up in his mission that he didn't catch it.

Brandyn didn't seem to notice his approach, so he stood off to the side and waited. But then, Brandyn smirked and said, "What's up, Larson?"

Erick gritted his teeth. So he had really good peripheral vision? So what?

"What did you do to Adrianna?"

Brandyn narrowed his eyes and gave him a flat stare. "Um, I didn't _do_ anything to her."

"And I suppose you didn't do anything to Cliff either?" Erick hissed.

The taller boy turned to him, arms crossed. "What now?"

"Don't play stupid with me." Erick growled. "You think you're so suave and perfect and nobody notices your little schemes."

"What _schemes_?" Brandyn retorted. "Dating the chief's daughter is a _scheme_ now? Because really Erick, that's all this comes down to! You're just jealous! So back off!" Brandyn turned to grab the two cups he'd left on the table and prepared to leave.

Erick stepped in his way with a defiant glare. "No."

A smirk rose to Brandyn's face. He glanced over Erick's shoulder and quietly said, "Back off, Larson. You don't want to do this."

"Oh, I think I do." Erick muttered. "Since the day you showed up you've projected yourself like some kind of angel manifest from Valhalla, like you're the gods' gift to mankind, able to get everything you want and please the people watching you, all while acting completely different when the adults aren't around!"

"You're delusional!" Brandyn glared.

Erick stepped closer so they were nearly nose to nose. "Get off your high horse and look me in the eye." Brandyn smirked and look down; Erick felt like the height difference didn't even exist. "You can fool every single person on the island, but you can't fool me. I will not sit by and watch you destroy by best friend's life. Do you even know what her favorite color is? Or what kind of books she likes to read? Or that she couldn't care less about that table full of jerks, and she'd rather be with-"

"You?" Brandyn shot. "What, she'd rather be with _you_? A poor leather shop boy with a peg-leg who meddles in her relationships?"

Erick rolled his eyes. "Her dad has a peg-leg, I don't think she cares about that, so it's stupid to even mention. Or did you forget that detail in that big brain of yours?"

Brandyn's face began to redden. "You'd better step aside before things get messy."

Erick smirked. "A little dirt never bothered me."

"Clearly." Brandyn snipped, pushing past. "But for the record, Adrianna told me that after your little escapade the other day that she completely regrets it. She wouldn't go for you if you were the last guy around."

"That's not true and you know it."

"Oh trust me," Brandyn smirked. "She'd do me long before she'd do you."

Erick fumed, his hands balling into fists. "Don't talk about her like that!"

"Like what?" Brandyn antagonized.

Erick closed the gap between them again, ignoring the few people telling them to calm down nearby. "Like she's some kind of… of _object_ that only exists for your benefit! Because she's more than that! She's-"

Brandyn grinned wolfishly. "Aw, look at you. Trying to be her personal little guard dragon. Well let me tell you something: You're wasting your time. That girl is _mine_. And you know how I know that? Because I can get her to do anything for me, _anything_ , you hear me? And by the time I'm finished with her she won't even remember your name-"

WHACK!

Brandyn flew backward and slammed into a table. Erick shook off his hand, feeling the digits swelling already. He couldn't even remember pulling his fist back or considering the action. But the look of utter pride and power in Brandyn's eyes was enough to make him sick.

People jumped out of their seats in shock. A man tried to help Brandyn to his feet, but he hopped up and shoved the man back. The Anderson boy wiped blood off his lip and, within a second, had launched himself at Erick.

Erick braced himself for the collision, but the force still knocked the wind out of him, especially when they disrupted a second occupied table. The wooden edge dug into Erick's spine as Brandyn hauled back a fist and punched him hard in the face. Erick growled and threw up his knee, catching Brandyn in the stomach hard enough to make him stagger. Erick took advantage of his moment of distraction to tackle him to the floor, where they continued to fight.

Erick blocked another hit to the face, catching it on his forearm, but Brandyn was definitely stronger than he was. Brandyn glared at him murderously as he continued to attack. Erick managed another offensive hit when suddenly Brandyn slammed his hand against Erick's open throat and squeezed.

People started yelling at Brandyn to let go as Erick grappled at his arm. Suddenly two pairs of arms were around Brandyn, pulling them off the ground. Erick fought to breathe, feeling like the skin of his face was going to burst like a balloon filled with water.

Finn was there, threatening to break Brandyn's arm if he didn't let go when suddenly a certain Night Fury jumped into the fray and roared in Brandyn's face.

Finally, Brandyn released Erick, who dropped to the ground hacking. Erick choked on air, his throat throbbing. His heart pounded in his chest and blood pulsed in his ears. He hadn't known Brandyn would be so violent.

Somebody was talking to him, he realized. He focused and saw Gustav squatting in front of him, looking worried.

"Talk to me, Erick, are you all right? Should we go to Mara's?"

Erick shook his head. "I'm f-" his voice cracked painfully and he bent over into a series of coughs. He could still feel Brandyn's fingers wrapped around his throat like a vice.

When the coughing subsided and he accepted a cup of water from a worried Horst, he noticed the yelling. He looked over to see Finn and Snotlout holding Brandyn back while Hiccup tried to calm him down.

"Are you serious?" Brandyn shouted. "He hit _me_ first!"

"How old are you!" Hiccup interjected. "Six? I don't care who started it or even what it was about: You could have seriously hurt him!"

Erick rubbed his throat. "I think that was the point." He winced when his voice kept cracking.

Hiccup turned a look at him over his shoulder, but Brandyn spoke before he could. "Maybe you should've used a little common sense than to hit an _Outcast_ -"

"Last I checked you live on Berk now," Hiccup stated calmly, though Erick could tell his patience was wearing thin. "We have different rules here."

"It's a reflex, Hiccup!"

"I suppose all the rest of your garbage is a reflex too, then?" Erick asked smartly.

Hiccup gave him a warning look that spoke volumes. Then a certain blonde shoved into the group, her green eyes wide in shock. She looked like she wanted to run to Erick to see if she was okay, but she looked at Brandyn with a look akin to fear. Like she was afraid to go to Erick or there would be consequences.

Judging by the swelling of his vocal chords, Erick _knew_ there would be consequences.

Hiccup rested his hands on his hips, trying to maintain some sort of composure. "Now what on earth is the problem that you two are handling this like children?"

Brandyn roughly jerked his arm out of Finn's hold. "He won't quit meddling in my relationship with Anna!"

Adrianna seemed to shrink in on herself, which wasn't lost on her father.

Erick glared. "Like you really care about her anyway."

"Yes, I do actually! A heck of a lot more than you!"

Hiccup scowled. "Stop arg-"

"No, Hiccup," Brandyn interjected, which only made the chief stiffen. "I'm only protecting my half of the relationship here because Golden Boy over there is the one kissing my girlfriend behind my back!"

The crowd gasped, including Adrianna. Erick was only slightly glad his face was already red, or else it would be going up in flames right now. Even Finn looked shocked at this development. Adrianna's eyes were wide in complete horror.

Erick glared at Brandyn with complete loathing. "Oh, you want to play that game?"

Hiccup said with an edge to his voice. "Erick-"

"Ohhhh no," Erick plowed on, ignoring Hiccup even as he marched toward him. "You don't get to make comments like that when you were _razzing it up_ with Dana earlier!"

The crowd gasped once again, the room exploding into whispers and exclamations. Adrianna's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide. Brandyn honestly looked surprised, as if shocked that Erick had punched a hole in his boat of scandal and he was now sinking.

Hiccup was on him before he could notice anything else. "Stop it. _Now_."

Erick stared into his eyes, honestly afraid of what might happen if he didn't. Hiccup didn't get angry often, but clearly he was at the end of his rope. At this point, he just wanted control over the situation.

"I want both of you boys outside now," Hiccup said loud enough for both of them to hear. "If either of you start smack-talking or fighting, I'm putting you in a cell for insubordination and disrupting the peace and my very _delicate_ temper. Now move it."

As he turned to leave, Erick glanced at Adrianna, glad to see Finn ushering her away from prying eyes. Suddenly, he felt very, _very_ guilty. He'd wanted to expose Brandyn for who he was and make him leave her alone. Instead, he exposed her to all the gossip that was to come.

He didn't feel like he made stupid decisions very often. But this had been a huge mistake from start to finish.

Hiccup marched the two boys outside, his jaw working and Erick suspected that he was holding back an explosion. Brandyn sneered at him in his peripheral vision, as if _he_ were the cause of this. But before he could open his mouth, Hiccup spoke, his voice shaking with rage.

"I don't want either do you talking to or _touching_ my daughter. Do I make myself clear?"

Neither boy nodded. Erick thought that this was a bit rich considering he'd nearly gotten strangled defending her honor. As if Hiccup was allowed to make those decisions anyway!

Brandyn spoke up. "You know, this is all _his_ fault!"

Erick's jaw clenched but he forced back the barrage of insults with difficulty.

"Oh, so it's Erick's fault you've been _cheating_ on her?" Hiccup said in a deadly whisper. "I don't think so."

"If he hadn't-"

Hiccup took a sudden step forward, his face dangerously close to Brandyn's. "No, _you_ listen carefully. I gave you a chance but clearly that notion was ill-conceived from the start. Erick having feelings for my daughter doesn't make you run to a different girl. You don't _care_ about Adrianna enough to respect her, and you clearly don't respect me as her father or the chief." he said, practically spitting with rage. Brandyn stared defiantly at him, not looking the least bit ashamed. "Now here's what's going to happen: You are going to go to work, you are going to hang out with your little groupies, you're going to do anything _but_ talk to her. And if I see you so much as _blink_ at her the wrong way, I will ship you back to Outcast Island myself!"

Brandyn didn't respond. Erick wondered why Hiccup didn't lose control and deck the cheating son of a half-troll himself. Clearly the man had a lot more self restraint than he did.

Hiccup leaned in even closer until his nose was in danger of touching Brandyn's. "Do I make myself clear?"

Brandyn stared back smugly, barely blinking. "Crystal."

"Then get out of my sight." Hiccup responded.

"Gladly." said Brandyn, stopping only to send a dark look at Erick before he swaggered away.

Erick barely had time to take a breath before Hiccup rounded on him. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

"Hiccup-, I didn't-"

"No, don't. No excuses from you. You know better how to handle conflict than like _that_ ," he gestured to the Great Hall as he spoke, "and you know better than to be kissing girls who are dating, let alone my _daughter_ -"

"I know!" Erick shouted before the chief could continue, his nerves already strained enough. "I know that!"

'Then _why_?"

Erick shook his head, not quite sure how to explain himself. "I don't know! It's not like I went up to her, took her someplace secret and made out with her for-" he stopped himself and sighed deeply, feeling his adrenaline ebbing away. "I regretted it the second it happened.

Hiccup crossed his arms, staring down at him stony faced. "I don't buy that for a second."

The flicker of anger returned. "Fine. Don't believe me because I _did_ feel bad. But I'd do it again if it meant getting that scum away from her."

"That right there proves my point." Hiccup said, straightening to his full height and looking down at Erick like he was some kind of criminal. "I understand your intentions are good, but this isn't about solving all of her problems, whatever they might be. That's what _I'm_ here for. You know I'm an observant guy, Erick, so I know-"

Erick actually laughed at this. It was a mirthless laugh that caught even himself off guard for a split second. "You? _Observant_? Give me a break!"

He was almost pleased to see Hiccup's face turn red with fury. "Don't speak to me like that."

Erick knew that what he was doing was akin to poking a sleeping Red Death in the eye but he plowed forward anyway, his limbs shaking with anger. "I'll speak any way I want to someone so oblivious that he can't even see that his own daughter, who he claims to _love_ , is being _abused_!"

"Don't you dare-"

"I _will_ dare if I have to be the one standing up for her!" Erick bellowed. "If you want to be her protector so bad, why did you completely ignore her while she made a _dangerous_ mistake?"

"I won't have you giving me parenting advice!" Hiccup yelled back; he had clearly gone way beyond reason by this point.

"Oh? Afraid of admitting you were wrong? Well don't apologize to me, apologize to your _daughter_." Erick turned on his remaining heel and started to stomp away.

"Come back here, Erick, we're not finished!" Hiccup shouted after him.

"Put a cork in it!" Erick turned back to see Hiccup trembling, his face red and his teeth gritted. "You can't tell me what to do. You're not my father, _chief_."

And with that, not caring one bit about what he had just said, he marched off without bothering to look back.

* * *

Adriana traipsed up to her room and shut the door. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She'd probably punch the next person she spoke to if she tried. Kicking the nightstand next to her bed, she sat down and put her head in her hands. She just needed to calm down, she thought, and she'd be okay. Adrianna Miracle Haddock was _always_ okay eventually.

So much had happened in the last two days. And it all started and ended with Brandyn. A new feeling coursed through her like fire ripping through a dry forest. _Rage_.

It was rare for Adrianna to become angry and even rarer for her to act on it. But today, she couldn't hold it back. It seemed to flow through her veins, forcing her to act lest she explode from inactivity.

Suddenly, almost of its own accord, her foot slammed into the nightstand again. It was this or throw things around but she didn't want to break her possessions.

_WHAM!_

That was for stupid Erick blurting out her secrets to the whole town.

_WHAM!_

For her best friend being poisoned and her being unable to do anything. For _always_ being so helpless!

_WHAM!_

For Brandyn…

She paused, taking deep breaths and yanking on her hair. Her heart was pounding in her chest at the thought but she needed to think it. To keep it locked up would cause her to implode and she couldn't afford to do that right now. She dry swallowed, finally allowing the barrage of thoughts and memories to rush through her brain.

Rape.

Brandyn had _raped_ her.

Her anger mingled with despair as she finally sat back down. She hardly even noticed the throbbing in her foot from slamming into the nightstand so many times. It felt like the memories were crushing her, like her sanity had caved in completely. All her dreams seemed to slip through her fingers.

She wasn't a virgin anymore.

She'd lost her virginity in a _barn_.

And worst of all, her virginity had been _stolen_ from her.

She'd never known how much the loss of something intangible could hurt so much. Nothing had ever made her feel so empty, so used, and so _filthy_ than this. She was going to have to tell her future husband. How could she enjoy sex knowing how painful it could be? How disgusting it felt? If that was intimacy, she wanted no part of it.

Just as the grief at what she had lost began to overtake her, she heard something clatter to the floor behind the nightstand. Thankful for the interruption, Adrianna stood up and reached behind it, grasping something cold and metal in her hand and yanking it up.

She sharply inhaled when she saw what it was in her hand. A beautiful, ornate necklace with perfectly cut purple stones in the shape of a rose rested in her palm, thankfully untarnished from its time between the wall and nightstand.

Instantly the memory of that Snoggletog four and a half years previously entered her mind. The final Snoggletog she had shared with Benen. And the necklace, _this_ necklace… it was the last gift he'd ever given her.

A wave of sadness overcame her at the thought. She didn't often think about Benen anymore. It was too painful. But now that she held the necklace in her hand, all the memories came flooding back. Skipping stones at the lake, tea at his house, even just sitting across from him and talking over dinner, these memories made her smile faintly through her heartache. Benen had always been a listening ear when she needed him, an advocate who always encouraged her if she wasn't feeling capable. With a pang, she realized that if anyone could tell her what to do now, it was him.

Running her fingers over the pretty rose design, Adrianna closed her eyes and willed herself to remember the warmth of his smile, the wisdom of his words, and the compassion he embodied through everything he did. More than anything, she wanted to walk over and ask him what to do but he was gone. For the first time, she felt as Finn must feel every day. Like the one person in the world who was wise enough and kind enough to help her was gone forever. She couldn't tell her family about this. Not Erick or Cliff or Taryn either. Benen may have been Finn's best friend but he had been her friend too.

A memory flashed through her mind almost like Benen himself had sent it straight from Valhalla. It had been a dreadful day; she'd been mocked and pushed in the mud by the other girls and she was quite upset about it. Benen had come and helped her get cleaned up. Then they'd had tea and he had told her something she never forgotten.

_"Courage is a lot more than not being afraid. It's about facing your fears and still fighting for what's right. And I see you do that every single day. Oh, you'll make mistakes and get hurt plenty more times but I'm not worried about you."_

He'd known she would have the courage to do what was right, even when she was a child. How could she let him down now?

Her fingers closed around the necklace. What was it that Benen used to say to Finn?

 _Fortis_.

She was going to have to be strong. Like Benen. This time she wasn't going to run crying to daddy or Erick or anyone. She could do this herself. It was in that moment, in her cluttered dusty bedroom, that she made a decision which would change her life.

_No more._

She wasn't going to run away and cry over her problems. She wasn't going to be a burden on her family. She was going to grit her teeth and do what had to be done. And if there were consequences, they were for her to deal with, not anyone else.

No more pity. No more excuses. No more letting people walk all over her. The sweet little victim was gone. She was going to do this alone. She was going to save her loved ones or die trying. She didn't matter anymore, not rally. She wasn't worth anything but they were worth _everything_. She couldn't turn on them like Finn had done, she loved her family and friends far too much for that, but she could keep them at arm's length now. Getting close to anyone had only caused her pain and now it had taken away something valuable to her.

She had made her decision. She wasn't going to stay with Brandyn. She wasn't going to give her heart to Erick. From now on, she was going to stand alone. Adrianna Miracle Haddock, the unshakable.

She felt a surge of something she'd never felt before coursing through her. Was it strength? Perhaps it was just adrenaline. But she knew that she would have to act now lest the feeling subside. She stopped only to clasp her necklace around her neck and tuck it under her shirt. As long as she could feel its cool metal against her heart, she would be reminded of a man who believed that she could be be strong no matter how frightened she was.

As she descended the staircase, she spotted a dagger on the windowsill. A nearby rock indicated that it had been recently sharpened, which was perhaps why it was still lying there. She recognized it as one of her father's. Hiccup was a pacifist but, due to his chiefdom and role as the family protector, he was frequently armed when he went out.

She found herself staring at the dagger, mesmerized for a moment. She wasn't the sort of person who felt the need to be armed at all times but after what had happened in that barn, she certainly didn't want to take any chances. Her plan was unsafe and potentially terrifying. She was going to have to take some precautions. She picked up the dagger and stuck it in her belt. It felt odd against her pants but she knew she'd grow accustomed to it. She would have to ask Finn or Erick to make her a sheath.

Today was the day she took her life into her own hands. Not only was she going to break up with Brandyn, she was going to make him leave so that he couldn't hurt anyone else.

Pausing only to take a deep breath, she opened the door and faced the setting sun. This was it. The end of the pathetic victim and the birth of a strong, independent woman. With a small, confident smile, she marched down the hill to the village with her head held high.


	8. Demons

It didn't take long for Adrianna to begin to feel the first twinges of unease.

As she marched through the village, certain that she was making the right decision, thoughts of her last few encounters with Brandyn tried to edge their way into her brain. She ejected them as she marched. She would not be dissuaded. This was her decision to make, and _only_ hers.

The walk seemed to take seconds rather than minutes. Adrianna and Brandyn didn't live exceptionally close. Brandyn was located on the edge of town, not too far away but certainly enough that he had some amount of privacy. If something went wrong... well...

She wasn't going to consider that possibility.

Just before she reached Brandyn's, she caught sight of the path leading to the barns where it had happened. The sight filled her with determination. She almost didn't notice that she had finally reached Brandyn's front door. She raised her fist and knocked before she would allow herself to doubt her mission.

Brandyn pulled open the door and his face broke into a smile. Adrianna's heart seemed to drop somewhere in her stomach but she stood tall.

"Looks like you've made the right choice." said Brandyn with a smile that would have been handsome if not for the maniacal glint in his dark blue eyes. "Took you long enough. Come on in."

Adrianna became uncomfortably aware that there was no one around. A few empty houses and barns were nearby but she knew the owners and they were surely working right now. This showdown would have to be just her and Brandyn. A tiny part of her, perhaps the anger that had built up from every single injustice in her life, was glad for this.

"I'm not coming in. This isn't a social call." she said in a commanding voice that even took her by surprise.

"I hope you're not going back on our little agreement." Brandyn averted her gaze to stare in the direction of the village. "I wouldn't want to have to kill one of your silly people. It's exhausting, coming up with new ways to outwit your father."

Adrianna straightened herself up to her full height. She was still a full foot shorter than her boyfriend but it gave her a lot more confidence nonetheless.

"We're done, Brandyn." the same commanding tone resonated through the house behind him. "You're going to leave everyone alone. And you're going to fly away from Berk. And you're not going to come back. Ever."

Now that she had spoken the words, Adrianna felt her resolve toughen. Her conditions were on the table. Brandyn needed only to obey them and this would be over. She would be okay.

Brandyn let out a chortle. "You and what army? You didn't even bring Lily." he advanced menacingly. "But now that we're alone, how about a little repeat of our last date?"

It happened so fast, Adrianna wasn't fully aware of what was going on until Brandyn's hands were fondling every inch of her that he could reach. Feeling disgusted, she tried to step back but his hands tightened on her waist, drawing her in closer. He bit her lip harder than he ever had before and if Adrianna hadn't wrenched it out of his teeth, she was certain he would have broken her skin.

"If you'd just obey me," Brandyn whispered in a twisted sort of seductive tone, "this would have been a lot easier."

A spark of fear burst forth, all but shattering her resolve. He was going to rape her again. This time, he might even kill her. And then there would be no one to stand between her and her family and friends as he went on to kill every last one of them. Their faces flashed in her mind, her parents, her brother, Cliff, Taryn, Inga, Helga, Erick...

_No._

She wasn't going to let it happen. Not this time. As Brandyn yanked her inside the house and threw her against the wall, pinning her hands behind her back, her fingers closed around the dagger. She drew it out slowly so that Brandyn wouldn't see and then, wriggling her arm free, she did something she never thought she would do.

She slashed his face.

Brandyn let out a scream of pain and recoiled, his hands covering the right side of his face. Blood oozed between his fingers and he swore loudly. Adrianna's hand shook rather violently, the dagger dripping blood onto her hand. Still, she held it up and stood her ground.

"Leave." she insisted, though her heart was drumming a tattoo against her ribs. "Get out now and... and I won't send anyone after you. You can go free."

Brandyn, still covering his now mangled face, regarded her with the utmost hatred. Adrianna held up her dagger as menacingly as she could, her whole body wracked with both fear and determination.

"Have it your way." Brandyn growled after a few seconds of tense silence. "But you'll regret this."

"I regret every second we spent together." Adrianna said scathingly. "You're a monster. And I should have seen it."

"Perhaps." Brandyn smiled. His teeth were tinged red from his blood. "But the _real_ monster's been right in front of you this whole time. You're just too naive to see it."

"Stop making excuses and _leave_." Adrianna bellowed, detecting a tiny waver in her otherwise confident voice.

"Oh, I'll go. Peacefully." Brandyn paused only for a moment to regard her with the same soulless stare before he walked out of his house and whistled for his dragon.

The Changewing was at his side in seconds. Adrianna was confused. Why hadn't he called the dragon before now?

And then the sight of the bags tied to the reptile answered her question. Brandyn had packed. He was already leaving.

Before mounting his dragon, Brandyn reached into a bag and pulled out a handkerchief, which he pressed to his face to stem the bleeding. Then he mounted the Changewing and turned to face her.

"Later, Nani. Enjoy your happy ending with Erick." he said in a sickeningly sweet voice. He then leaned forward, his visible eye narrowed. "Until we meet again."

And with that, without so much as a single blow thrown or a weapon raised against her, he flew away from Berk. The Haddock girl walked out of the house and watched until he disappeared into the horizon.

A wave of relief crashed over her so suddenly, she wondered if she'd ever breathe properly again. She barely registered her nausea flaring up again before she vomited onto the grass below. Turning toward the village so she could walk home, she barely advanced five steps before her legs felt like they'd turned to jelly and she collapsed onto her hands and knees. Her breaths came in short gasps, sweat trickling down her face. But a swooping feeling had filled her as well, a feeling of accomplishment and victory.

He was gone. She was free.

* * *

She wasn't sure how long she was sitting there on the ground but by the time she got up, the sun was disappearing into the trees. Adrianna's feet dragged as she walked through the village, arms wrapped around her chest protectively. She ignored everybody she passed. In fact, she barely noticed them.

Brandyn was gone. The boy she'd met on her travels with her father three years ago, who she'd reached out to and befriended, who had moved to Berk and become her first boyfriend, the boy who she'd trusted with every secret and hope and dream…

No. It turned out that innocent boy she thought she'd known had been gone for quite some time. When exactly he'd left, she'd never know. But it was the arrogant, filthy man who'd finally left her today.

She felt some form of relief, knowing he wouldn't be following her around and she wouldn't have to succumb to his demands anymore. Images of Cliff sick and Brandyn choking Erick made her shiver in fear. Brandyn was gone; therefore, so was the threat. He couldn't hurt her or her friends anymore.

Still, dating was an investment. They'd dated for so long, she'd thought it was real. She thought they'd one day get married, build a nice house raise a few kids and start a new adventure together. Over the last few months, doubts had started creeping into her mind, especially when she thought about Erick. And not just about the kiss. She'd been wondering for some time now if she was more compatible with Erick than Brandyn.

Whatever the case, Brandyn had shown his true colors and lack of morality to the core. He'd taken what he wanted, whether it was an overall lack of patience or true cruelty she didn't know. Whatever the specifics didn't matter.

Brandyn had raped her and there was no changing that. The thought still made every muscle in her body tense in fear and anger.

_"You don't get to make comments like that when you were razzing it up with Dana earlier!"_

Erick's voice echoed in her mind once again and she growled aloud, walking faster once her house came into view. The thought of Brandyn raping her was enough to push her toward the edge anyway. She still couldn't fully wrap her mind around the fact that such a horrible, disgusting, invasive thing had happened to her.

But to find out after the fact that Brandyn had been _cheating_ on her with Dana? He was probably getting some on the side this whole time, so why even rape her at all? What was the purpose? Was he seriously that egotistical that he had to conquer her as well? How many girls had he been with since they'd started dating? Did he ever care for her at all? Or was she really that naïve and ignorant and starry-eyed for a boy who was really a demon in disguise?

Adrianna shoved the front door open, pleased to find the house empty. No parents who'd want to talk things over, no strong brother to be big and mighty, no dragons to sniff her clothes and find Brandyn's blood on her sleeve or on the handle of her dagger. Even Lily, her beloved Monstrous Nightmare, was out of the house, quite possibly looking for her elsewhere.

Staring around the darkened house, Adrianna felt a strange sense of foreboding. She didn't feel warmth and comfort here like she used to. This house didn't hold a sense of security; it wasn't a sanctuary anymore where she could hide from her demons until she felt ready to emerge again.

Brandyn's demon never slept. He never left. The roughness of his touch, the heat of his gaze, the cruelty in his eyes followed her wherever she went. Sleep made no difference for he chased her in dreams as well. There was no escaping him, even though he'd physically left.

A single hiccup escaped her and she realized she was crying, standing in the middle of her family's dark living room feeling cold and alone and afraid. Was it so bad to want to feel truly wanted? Was it such a bad thing to desire a normal life without bad things happening at every turn?

Adrianna wiped her eyes and stifled her cries. She felt a surge of anger take over and she glared at the floorboards, willing herself to stop crying. Tears would not fix this. Though Brandyn had left, he was not completely gone. She couldn't erase him from her memory, but she could definitely erase all traces of him that she had left. She could make it look like he'd never been here, at least in her house.

Stomping up the stairs, Adrianna set to purifying her bedroom from the filth of her ex-boyfriend. She dumped out a few boxes of random things and threw everything that Brandyn had ever given her into them. Flowers she'd dried in books, a few books that she really hadn't liked anyway, jewelry, painted rocks they'd found in the woods, random trinkets he'd made or traded from Johann, even clothing.

Sure she'd found everything, Adrianna hefted the boxes to the back yard one by one. There she threw everything in a heap a safe distance from the house. She felt crazy as she hauled handfuls of wood from the barn and threw them haphazardly onto the pile. Her hands shook as she tried to light matches. She sorely wished any of her family's dragons were here to make it easier, but with dragons came family, and they'd surely try to stop her.

Her parents would probably say this wasn't the way to handle the problem. They'd want to smooth things over once she calmed down and try to figure out what she wanted to do next. Adrianna didn't want to talk things over and she certainly didn't know what she wanted to do next. She just wanted it all to burn.

Finally, the matches caught on the various belongings. Within minutes the flames rose and thick smoke plumed into the air. Adrianna's chest hurt as she watched, but it wasn't enough. She wanted to break things.

"Anna?"

Adrianna whipped around at the sound of her brother's voice, who was jogging past the house toward her. Finn's eyes widened at the sight of the fire, then focused on her.

"Are you okay?"

The blonde gritted her teeth and sniffed. "Oh yes. I'm perfectly fine." She faced the flames once again.

She heard her brother sigh and felt him move closer. "Anna… I'm sorry about what happened earlier."

Adrianna felt a flash of rage in her chest. He didn't even know _half_ of what she'd been through for that sick jerk.

"Don't be. Hard times make you stronger anyway, don't they?" Adrianna ignored her conscience as she said, "What is it you always say? Fortis?"

Finn looked at her in concern. "Anna, these things take time. Nobody's expecting you to instantly bounce back from-"

"Just leave me alone."

Finn shook his head. "Anna, don't push-" His voice faltered. "Is that blood?"

Adrianna flinched when his hand touched her arm, not out of fear of him but of the questions he might ask. She retracted her arm and looked at the sleeve, spotting Brandyn's blood. Then she remembered Brandyn had given her this sweater.

Adrianna tore the clothing from her body, ignoring the chill biting through her undershirt, and threw it into the fire. How had she not remembered? Sparks flew toward the twins, making Finn pull her back. She jerked out of his grasp.

"Stop, I don't need your help!"

Finn sighed. "Anna, let me see your arm."

"I'm not hurt!"

"Will you just let me see it?"

"NO!" Adrianna yelled. She turned to move away but his hand on her elbow stopped her. With an angry outburst, Adrianna wrenched her arm out of his grasp and slapped his face. Finn jerked from the impact, clearly shocked.

She froze. Adrianna looked at her swelling palm and stepped back. Finn slowly opened his eyes and seemed to survey her expression carefully.

"Finn…" Adrianna swallowed, her voice cracking. "I'm sorry."

"Anna, it's-"

Adrianna's eyes burned, watching as his cheek flamed almost as bright as his hair. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She turned his face and brushed a hand against the inflamed skin, ignoring him when he held her wrists. "I'm so sorry!"

"Anna, it's okay."

"No it's not!" she shouted, staring up at him with wide eyes. "I _hit_ you!"

"Anna, you have every right to be angry about everything that happened today. Brandyn, Erick, Dana, all of it- "

"That doesn't mean I should take it out on you!" Adrianna shouted, feeling something snap inside. "I've never been like that, I don't _want_ to be like that! What's wrong with me?"

"Hey," Finn stepped closer to her, hands out in placating manner. "Nothing is wrong with you."

Adrianna felt her eyes burning. She shakily inhaled as she fought tears. "I wasn't good enough. I'm _never_ good enough. Why... why do these things always happen to me?" Her voice broke.

When her brother stepped forward and pulled her into his chest, she clung to him tightly. Finn had never seemed like a hugger, but the family had realized in the last year and a half that when he was hurting, a hug could completely alter the course of his day.

Since the rape, Adrianna could barely stand being around men. Even her dad's gentle patting of her shoulder that morning had made her flinch. But wrapped in her brother's strong arms she felt secure and safe. Nobody could hurt her while Finn was here.

* * *

Finn was at a loss.

He knew pain and suffering. He knew the cries of brokenness from the slave trade. Though he didn't have nightmares as often anymore, he could still vividly remember the pain marked into his mind and body.

He had no doubts: His sister was in _agony_.

Finn hadn't been sure how she'd react when he hugged her. But he'd been both surprised and concerned when she literally clung to him like someone was going to snatch her away. She'd buried her face into his chest and openly sobbed. Usually she'd try to hide her emotions, especially tears, when Finn was around. Her crying always annoyed him when they were little.

Now he felt like someone was ripping a cloth off a half-healed wound. Finn wrapped her up more in his arms, unsure what to do or what to say. He watched everything burn that Brandyn had ever given her.

He wanted to track down that jerk and make him pay for making his sister cry like this. He wanted to make him pay for making her promises and treating her like a princess and then cheating behind her back. He wanted to wring that guy's neck for hurting Erick and playing them all like fools.

But he kept all these thoughts at bay and forced himself to relax. He didn't want to crush his twin.

It was a long while before Adrianna began to calm down. Her grip on him slackened and she leaned against him heavily, clearly exhausted. Finn noticed they'd been standing outside long enough for the fire to die down and the stars to twinkle above their heads.

"Anna?" Finn murmured.

Adrianna stirred, but didn't seem to have the energy to move.

Finn pursed his lips before making a decision. Carefully he twisted and bent down enough to slide an arm underneath her knees. When he picked her up and cradled her against his chest, she gave a startled squeak but quickly relaxed again. Finn walked toward the house, just managing to open the back door and walk inside. As he walked, he noticed in curiosity that a bruise the size of a thumb was on her forearm.

Just as he walked toward the staircase, the front door opened and their parents walked in, looking worn and weary. Hiccup's weariness fled the second he saw his children; both parents instantly marched forward when they saw Adrianna's condition.

"She's okay," Finn whispered, turning and taking her upstairs. He didn't hear his parents follow behind him.

Quickly and carefully he laid his sister down on her bed, shucked her boots, and draped a blanket over her. With a sad frown, he bent down to kiss her forehead. Adrianna's puffy eyes opened a smidge.

"'m sorry."

Finn gave her a wan smile. "You have nothing to apologize for, Anna. Just get some sleep okay?"

Adrianna nodded and snuggled deeper into her pillow.

Finn walked out of the room and grabbed her door. But just before it closed, he heard a quiet, "Thanks, Finnegan." He closed her door with a smile and tromped back downstairs where his worried parents were still waiting.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked before he even reached the bottom step.

Finn sighed. "She burned everything Brandyn ever gave her."

"What?" Astrid strode to the back door and flung it open to reveal the dying embers in the backyard. "Everything?"

"I assume everything."

Hiccup huffed. "Did she say anything?"

Finn frowned. "Other than asking 'why' and trying to take the blame for Brandyn's… everything? No."

Hiccup's scowl deepened at the mention of the young man.

"What did he say when you talked to him?" Finn asked, crossing his arms.

Hiccup met Astrid's eyes when she returned to their side. "He didn't say anything. By the time I got to his house, he was gone."

"What?" Finn gasped. "He took off? What a coward."

"That's what I said." Astrid huffed.

"No matter. We don't need him around anymore." Hiccup said. "My concern is the blood."

"Blood?" Finn echoed.

Astrid nodded. "There was fresh blood on the floor, not far from the door. Everything was cleared out so there was no sign of a scuffle, but something seems to have gone wrong."

Finn looked at his father. "Erick?"

"No, he was getting patched up at Taryn's." Hiccup sighed. "He's another story."

"Well if it wasn't Erick, who'd-" Finn stopped.

Astrid leaned forward. "What is it?"

Finn chewed his lip. "There was blood on Anna's sweater."

Instantly the parents looked on edge. "Where?" Hiccup demanded.

"Just on the sleeve," Finn said. "But when I asked her about it, she took it off and threw it into the fire. It wasn't a lot but enough for me to notice."

"When was this?"

"I don't know… forty-five minutes ago, maybe?"

Hiccup sighed. "We went to Brandyn's a half hour ago. I wanted to give him time to cool off before-"

"Correction," Astrid interrupted. "We wanted to give _you_ time to cool off."

Rolling his eyes, Hiccup waved a hand in circles. "Something happened long before we got there then."

Finn winced. "Do you think Anna would… challenge him?"

Hiccup sat down in a nearby chair as he thought. "That's not really her style."

"No… but neither is carrying a weapon around. Or slapping."

"She hit you?"

"Not hard enough if it's not obvious."

Hiccup sighed. "Okay… granted she has every right to be upset about the cheating and Erick's causing a scene. But why did she go over there?"

"She wasn't even supposed to talk to him," Astrid added.

"No offense to Finn," Hiccup said. "But neither of our children seem to have made obedience a priority."

Finn winced again. "None taken."

"What weapon did she-" Hiccup frowned, his gaze finding the windowsill, where the dagger he'd been sharpening was no longer sitting there. "Okay, so maybe she went over there to officially break up with him… but why did she take my dagger?"

Finn glanced over and noticed the missing dagger as well. He turned back to his parents. "There was…"

He stopped, unsure if he wanted to mention the bruise. He already knew his parents had a rough day. He wasn't sure how much he wanted to reveal, especially if Brandyn was already gone. He knew his dad would jump to conclusions and try to drag Adrianna out of bed to search her head to toe for every injury he could find. He didn't want that for her; he wanted to let her rest while she could. If he didn't have proof of anything going wrong for sure, then he shouldn't mention any suspicions he might have. Right?

"There was…?" Astrid asked.

Finn shrugged. "I don't know, it wasn't a lot of blood. Only a few drops on her sleeve. Maybe it happened somewhere else."

His parents frowned, unsure.

"I think there's a lot more to this story than any of us knows." Hiccup said at last, sighing deeply and resting the side of his head on his palm. "But we won't get any answers out of Addie tonight."

"We could always try to go after Brandyn." Astrid suggested.

"No." Hiccup said this firmly, as if that was the last thing he felt like doing. "He's gone. And good riddance to him. If I ever see his face again..."

"Get in line." Finn seethed. "Because I want a crack at him too."

The sides of Hiccup's mouth quirked upward, though he didn't fully smile. "I think I'm going to turn in." he said, getting up and stretching his arms over his head. "This has been the worst day and I'm not enduring any more of it."

"I'll be right up." Astrid called up to him as he ambled up the stairs. She waited until he was out of earshot before turning back to Finn. "Listen, I know Hiccup can be a bit... smothering. Especially when Adri is concerned. So if there's anything you didn't say..."

Finn felt a tightness in the pit of his stomach. He knew his mother would be furious at the thought of Adrianna being abused... but at the same time, he hadn't asked Adrianna about it himself. If he sounded the alarm prematurely, that would be a lot of unwanted attention on his already emotional sister.

"I... nothing." Finn shrugged. "Nothing important, anyway. Just let her sleep, mom."

Astrid looked up at Adrianna's bedroom door almost wistfully. Finn knew she wasn't the sort of person who always verbalized how she felt but Astrid loved her daughter very much. If there was anything she could do to help, he knew that she would.

Unfortunately, he wasn't sure there was anything to be done at all this time.

* * *

It had been a mercifully dreamless sleep.

Adrianna awoke to find her body tightly curled into a ball under her covers. It was so comfortable, she didn't want to get up. She didn't want to face the world after the events of yesterday and she felt slightly embarrassed about losing it in front of Finn. He would surely have told her parents by now.

Yet again, she found herself at a crossroads. She could do what she always did, cry and mope and hug her parents and try to forget about Brandyn. Or she could deal with this on her own. She wasn't helpless. In less than a month, she would be seventeen and with that, she would be legally allowed to do almost anything she wanted. She could move out on her own. The thought made her insides freeze. She was definitely not ready for that. But she could do plenty now.

It didn't take long for her to make up her mind. She threw the covers off and climbed out of bed. After her morning routine, she grabbed some bread for breakfast and tied her hair back in a long braid. She tossed a few fish to Lily before heading out to the barn, the Monstrous Nightmare eagerly following.

"All right, Lily," she said, grabbing her saddle off its peg, "what do you say?"

Lily hopped up and down eagerly. She and Adrianna hadn't flown in a while. The girl simply didn't feel like it in the midst of her problems with Brandyn, and Lily wasn't the sort of dragon to push her into doing something she didn't want to do.

The moment Adrianna mounted Lily, the two were off. Lily did a lap around Berk, cheerfully crooning as she did so. The Haddock girl took a deep breath of chilly air, feeling freer than she had in a very long time. She wouldn't have to work until that evening so she had plenty of time to swoop and dive and fly higher than ever before. Berk shrunk to a tiny dot in the vast expanse of the ocean below. Adrianna looked around, spotting the coastline of Brawn far in the distance. She knew that Outcast Island was in the other direction from all her flights there when...

She shook her head vehemently. Brandyn was dead to her. There had to be a way to make herself forget.

"Higher." she whispered to Lily, who obliged.

The air was cold up here. It was a nice break from the hot weather far below. A bit of lingering tenderness stopped her thoughts of doing a few tricks. But maybe taking it easy was a good idea.

"Thanks." she said to her dragon, patting her on the head.

Lily crooned in a friendly sort of way. Adrianna could tell that she was worried. The girl hoped all traces of _him_ were gone now.

Feeling a small flicker of daring, Adrianna unhooked herself from her dragon and slid down her neck to rest on her back. The rhythmic flapping of Lily's wings made her feel almost drowsy, despite just waking up. But she needed to clear her mind. She needed to relax. Lily began to slowly circle above, apparently deciding that she didn't want to stay in one place while her rider was taking a much needed break from the world.

Adrianna remembered seeing some of her father's reclining positions on Toothless. Even lying down, he would keep his foot and prosthetic strapped in to avoid any accidents. She felt a spark of adrenaline knowing that she had no such safety precautions. If she slipped off Lily, she would tumble down, down and splat somewhere in the ocean or on Berk. She tried to avoid thinking about the gruesome sight some unlucky Berkian would come across if she plummeted to her death down there. But at the same time, she kind of liked the idea. It was fascinating in a horribly morbid sort of way.

What kind of casket would they put her remains in if she died that day? Adrianna didn't think about death often but, for some reason, thinking about her pyre was very interesting. Surely it would be bedecked in flowers, especially the purple ones. Over a decade later and she still loved purple. She liked the idea of burning along with hundreds of flowers and maybe the drawing Erick had given her when they were small...

What was she _thinking_? She was sixteen, for Thor's sake! Why was she thinking about such a grisly death when, of course, her dragon would catch her well before she was in any real danger? Did normal people think about such things? It wasn't as if she was suicidal. She wouldn't _actually_ jump to her...

Well...

Adrianna turned her head and looked down at the speck of land that was Berk. She would have quite a way to fall before she was even near it. Plenty of time to be caught.

It was a crazy idea. Her father was the sort of person to leap off his dragon and plummet to the ground before extending the wings of his flight suit and gliding until he found land or Toothless saved him from some stupid mishap on his part. It was a wonder he survived to have children considering the stunts he did when he was her age. She'd never thought about following in his footsteps in that particular way. Plenty of people said she and Hiccup were very much alike but flying, while fun, wasn't Adrianna's _thing_ the way it was Hiccup's. She certainly had the instincts, she'd learned that in lessons, but she'd never felt a real urge to push the limits like her parents. Not even Finn was as daring as they were, though that was mostly due to Thornado's grouchiness and Zap's young age.

But Adrianna, the old one at least, never took risks quite like that. Little Addie Haddock played with dolls and wore flowers and colorful skirts and didn't like seeing people cry and always, _always_ did what was safe and sweet and smart and...

That was what had gotten her in this mess in the first place. And she was done. She was sick of being the daddy's girl. She was sick of wearing her heart on her sleeve only to have it smashed to pieces. She was sick of humiliation and unkind words. As far as she was concerned, it was a mistake ever to be like that in the first place. No one got where they were by being nice and cautious.

Almost before she had fully thought about what she was doing, she stood up. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lily start and turn her head to stare at her, wide eyed. But Adrianna didn't care. She trusted Lily. She was surprisingly unafraid. The same fire inside her that had gotten rid of Brandyn now burned within her and she felt reckless.

It was a perfect dive. Adrianna sped downward so fast, she could hear the wind whistling in her ears. Her sinuses cleared, her vision swam before her eyes but she kept falling. She could barely see Lily descending nearby, poised to catch her before she came close to hitting the ground.

The sensation was indescribable. To be completely free, the wind in her hair and nothing around her but the sky and the air was amazing. It was the freest she'd ever felt in her life. Her problems seemed to have flown out of her as she sped toward the ground. The whole expanse of the archipelago opened up to her in a way she'd never seen it before. There was no dragon beneath her to control her fall. It was only her and the sky.

 _What_ a feeling! This was incredible! This was exactly what she needed right now. No one could hurt her in the air. No one could tell her what to do or how to feel. No one could do anything at all.

Finally, the ground came a little too close for comfort and she reached out for Lily's horn. Lily flew over and allowed her to mount upside down before straightening herself out. Now they were flying far below where they had been and it was a moment before Adrianna realized she was laughing. The girl laughed until she could hardly breathe, until tears ran down her face. She had been in _so_ much danger and it was worth it. It was worth every second, every pump of adrenaline. It was the best she'd felt in such a long time. She hoped no one had seen her, otherwise she would likely get an outrageously hypocritical lecture from her parents about safety measures. But she didn't care. The danger, the threat of imminent death, that was what made it so much fun. The freedom to end everything if she so wanted.

"Okay." she wheezed, directing her dragon upward. "What do you say, Lily? Go again?"

Lily gave her a concerned squawk but the Haddock girl didn't care. She'd jump off anyway. Then Lily would _have_ to catch her.

As they flew upward, Adrianna found that she liked this new person she was becoming quite a lot. The old one had been an insecure, emotional basket case. But this girl was almost worthy of the Haddock name and lineage.

She only wished it hadn't taken nearly seventeen years for her to stop caring anymore.


	9. Thistles

Monday morning had to be the quietest thing Erick had ever experienced. No mother to knock on his door to wake him up, no Cliff to complain loudly that he'd left a dirty dish out, just silence. And it was the worst sort of silence.

Erick rose out of bed, his head throbbing. He dearly wanted to roll over and go back to sleep but he was probably already late for work. Allowing himself a minute to rub his eyes, wincing when he touched the sore one, and put his head in his hands, he felt the full weight of the previous night fall upon him.

He'd blurted out to the whole village that Adrianna's boyfriend was a cheater. He had then accused Hiccup of not caring about his own daughter. And now everyone knew about his moment of weakness at Troll Bridge.

The desire to go back to bed intensified. He did _not_ want to show his face in the village after all that. He didn't want to face an angry Hiccup or, worse, an angry Adrianna. And Brandyn... gods, this was going to be a very, _very_ long day.

Erick swung his legs over the edge of his bed and attached his prosthetic. He felt a bit shaky on it, whether from exhaustion or a loose screw somewhere he didn't know. He didn't particularly care. He wasn't going to be running all over Berk today anyway.

He expected someone to call out to him on his way to work but no one did. By the time he was pushing open the door, he was breathing a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed was the watchful eye of the village upon him as he went about his daily business.

"You're late." Horst said, not looking up from his work. "But it's fine. We've got a lot to do and Cliff's not here so if you could get on it right now, that'd be great."

"Right. Yeah." Erick sighed and sat down at his desk, immediately getting to work.

Two years ago, long stretches of silence were normal during the workday. Now they were agonizing. It wasn't as if Cliff was there every second of every shift, he'd been out sick a few times, but Erick had always known he would burst into the room within the week more boisterous than before. But now, sitting alone in the office and trying to focus on his work, Erick found himself missing the constant chatter that annoyed him to no end. The very idea of never hearing it again made his insides writhe. Cliff was loud, rambunctious, and full of bizarre stories that seemed to have no point at all but that was why Erick liked him. He made each day different and exciting.

Now he was holed up in the healer's. Okay, so he wasn't dying. He would be back in a day's time at most. But the sight of him sweating and convulsing, his skin pale and his eyes wide and fearful, wasn't about to leave Erick's head anytime soon. For one horrible moment, he had been terrified that his best friend was going to drop dead in that Hall before anyone could get him the help he needed. And if that had happened, all the chatter, all the stories, all the noise would be gone. Forever.

His thoughts drifted to Brandyn and he nearly broke the tool he was holding. That disgusting excuse for a human being had clearly hurt one of the people he loved most and, though Erick wasn't completely sure, endangered another loved one. He didn't care what Hiccup had said. He'd deserved a punch in the face. He deserved a whole lot more.

The sound of the office door opening nearly made Erick fall off his stool. It wasn't close to break time yet and he'd been concentrating on repairing a large rip in Thorein's saddle.

"Wha- oh." Erick whipped around and found himself face to face with Hiccup. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. "Hi."

He saw Hiccup give him a half smile as he sat on Cliff's stool. "How's your eye?"

"Fine. Looks worse than it is."

"And your throat?"

"Pretty good. Bit scratchy but even that's going away." Erick stared down at his hands.

"Good, good..." Hiccup said somewhat vacantly.

Erick felt words bubble up within him but he clenched his jaw shut for a second before deciding to speak. "Look, Hiccup, I'm sorry about what I said. It was stupid and I don't actually think you don't care about Annie."

"It's all right." Hiccup said in a calm tone. "I think we both said things we didn't mean." he paused for a moment and Erick chanced a glance upward. Hiccup looked like he was contemplating something. Finally, he met Erick's eye. "Look, what I said about me being there to solve her problems... that's not exactly true. I've been doing a terrible job of it."

"I wouldn't say _terrible_."

"I would." Hiccup sighed; he looked emotionally pained. "She's not coming to me for as much as she did when she was little. I'm not saying she shouldn't figure a few things out on her own but... I don't know." he rubbed his eyes. "She didn't tell me anything about her and Brandyn. I had no idea he was that violent and I certainly would have put a stop to the relationship if I'd known."

"Of course you would. And you'd have done it in a much more mature way than I did."

"Ohhh no I wouldn't." Hiccup was smiling almost savagely. "If I'd known then what I know now, I'd have socked him too."

Erick's heart plummeted. "What do you know now?"

"It wasn't just cheating, Erick. I don't know much more but he really broke her heart. And he just left with no warning."

"He _left_?"

"House was cleared out. Only thing we've been able to piece together is that there was some sort of incident that happened before he took off. But none of us knows what it is, except Addie probably. But she's not saying a thing." Hiccup looked down for a moment before meeting Erick's eye again. "Is there _anything_ you can tell me? I don't want you to betray her trust but I don't want her to keep suffering like this, like she _always_ does and then me just watching it and unable to do a thing."

Erick was taken slightly aback. There was genuine anguish in Hiccup's eyes. A father is supposed to protect his children from pain like that but Hiccup, through one tragedy after another, couldn't do it the way most parents could. It wasn't for a lack of trying or a lack of love, he did both in abundance. But perhaps it was simply entering adulthood that made Erick realize that parenthood was truly heartbreaking. The evidence was right in front of him.

"I don't know much, Hiccup." Erick replied to his question. "I wish I did. But I think it would be better to hear it from her, anyway."

"Right." said Hiccup. "Sorry. Didn't mean to dump my parenting woes on you."

"It's okay." Erick waved away his apology. "But... I've got a question for you."

"Hit me."

"Ehh, just hitting Brandyn was enough." Erick flexed his fingers and Hiccup actually let out a small laugh. "Anyway, I've always wanted kids but seeing you like this... is it worth it?"

"Absolutely." Hiccup said immediately. "I loved Finn and Addie the second I saw them and so did Astrid. Nothing that happened to them or that they did themselves would ever change that."

"But it's been painful."

" _Life_ is painful, Erick. You know that as well as I do." Hiccup straightened up. "It wasn't always miserable. For every time I've cried over those two, there's been about a dozen moments they've made me laugh or made me proud. You live for those moments, even when they're few and far between. Don't swear off kids on my account."

"Will do. Or won't do." Erick shrugged. "Well anyway, I'm sorry."

"Me too." Hiccup ruffled his hair before standing up. "I've got some work to do but I think we should start getting breakfast together again sometime."

"Sounds good."

Erick waited until Hiccup had vacated the shop before returning to his work. That was a lot less painful than he'd expected, considering their last encounter. Shouting at Hiccup truly was the only part of that evening he regretted. He loved Hiccup like a father, though perhaps not _his_ father. Olaf had been another story altogether. But as a surrogate, Hiccup had stepped up remarkably well considering his full schedule and all those different personalities under his roof.

Erick knew only one thing for certain regarding Hiccup: he wasn't going to let one argument ruin their relationship. And, from the way Hiccup had spoken to him just now, it seemed he had come to the same conclusion.

* * *

As much as he loved his aunt, Cliff couldn't help but think that extended time in the healer's was pure agony. He'd drawn plenty of silly cartoons on a pad of parchment he'd found but without anyone to show them to, he might as well have slept all morning. He felt fine. His incident the previous day had been scary for sure but with a good night's sleep, he was ready to leave. Of course Mara would want him around for "observation." More like torture-vation. Hmm... not his best joke.

Lying on his back, his head dangling over the edge of his bed just because he could, he was seriously considering going outside running a few laps around Mara's to get out his excess energy. Before he had a moment to really think about it, someone knocked on his door.

"It's open." he called.

He was surprised, but quite pleased, that it was Taryn who emerged from behind the door and not some healer's assistant. Taryn was carrying a small flower in a pot and smiling awkwardly at him.

"I, uh... I just wanted to see how you were doing." she said, shrugging her shoulders. "And I brought you this. Kind of a... a get well soon gift." she paused, staring at him. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, counting the lines on the floorboards." said Cliff.

"Well you must be feeling better then."

She placed the flower, which was covered in prickles, on his nightstand and sat down on a chair next to his bed. Cliff flipped over so that the world righted itself and took in the appearance of his friend, his face reddening in embarrassment at having been in such an odd position when she arrived. Taryn's hands were covered in a white dust that Cliff suspected to be flour. Her hair was up in a messy bun that would have made her mother cringe. then eyed the flower for a moment before grinning.

"Thanks, Taryn. I know _thistle_ make me feel even better in no time." he said with a wink.

Taryn snorted. "Wooooow." she said before dissolving into giggles.

It seemed the awkwardness was broken in an instant. Cliff's grin widening, he decided to chance another pun.

"All I've been able to do is stare out the window. Wish I could leave. I'm really lavender weather outside!"

Taryn laughed at this joke as if it was the funniest thing she'd heard in years. She had to be the best audience he'd ever had.

"Sorry..." she wheezed. "I just... I didn't know you were such a pun master."

"Why, Taryn, I am _the_ pun master! Punsational! Punlarious! And possibly punintentional!"

Taryn laughed again. "You need to get yourself looked at again. I think your _irony_ levels are a tad high."

It was Cliff's turn to howl with laughter. Prim, proper Taryn just told him a _joke_? And not just any joke, one _this_ bad had to be celebrated.

"You are full of surprises." Cliff said once his laughter subsided. "I didn't know you shared my love for bad puns."

"I'm not serious all the time, Cliff." Taryn said. "Everyone's got a sense of humor, don't they?"

"I wonder about some people." Cliff sighed dramatically. "Maybe they forgot how to laugh. A depressing existence."

"My brother was a goofball. Both are. Were." the smile melted off Taryn's face. "I'm sorry, I just... it's been almost two years now."

"Oh." Cliff wasn't expecting the mood to evaporate so quickly.

"No, it's all right. I'm fine." Taryn shook her head. "I shouldn't bring the mood down while you're still recovering. That's not fair to you."

"It's fine. I liked Curt. I mean I didn't know him super well or anything but everyone liked him and Aud." Cliff looked down at his pad of parchment for a moment. "You can talk about him if you want. I'm all ears."

"Maybe some other time." Taryn said with a tiny smile. "But for now, I want to hear more of your punterical jokes."

"You sure?"

"Yep." Taryn leaned forward.

"Okay. If you're ready for it. Knock knock!"

Taryn's smile widened. "Who's there?"

"Dishes."

"Dishes who?"

"Dishes a very bad joke."

With that, Taryn and Cliff told each other increasingly ridiculous jokes until Mara told them off for laughing too loudly. By the time Taryn left the healer's Cliff was sad to see her go. It seemed that there was more to Mama Taryn than even he knew.

* * *

Astrid wasn't paying much attention to the eleven-year-olds she was teaching some basic flying maneuvers. This resulted in Fishlegs preventing two girls from ramming their dragons into each other in midair. But even then, Astrid couldn't tear her mind away from the previous night. So, when she finally completed her lessons for the day and assisted various villagers with random tasks Hiccup wasn't able to get to, she went deep into the woods, her favorite axe strapped to her back. She thought best while she was mutilating trees.

The whir of the axe and _thunk_ into the tree's bark made her smile in satisfaction. She already felt better. After a few practice throws, she began to put her arms and shoulders into each swing. Soon, one of her axes split a smaller tree cleanly in half. But she wasn't paying enough attention to be proud of this accomplishment. Her mind was solely on her daughter.

Breakups were hard, no doubt about that, but Adrianna had not only cried until she could hardly breathe but had also burned everything Brandyn had given her. This couldn't be normal behavior. Paranoia over the twins' emotional states was usually Hiccup's forte. Still, something was deeply troubling about this. She didn't like seeing Adrianna suffering any more than Hiccup did, though she was far less vocal or emotional about it. But when Hiccup had spoken to her at breakfast that morning, he didn't seem at all concerned. They barely broached the topic at all and when they did, Hiccup had insisted that she'd surely cried it out and would be okay in no time, with enough love and encouragement from them. Astrid couldn't help but think it was downright bizarre that _she_ was the one worried about Adrianna and her husband wasn't.

Sometimes, Astrid wished that she could approach parenting with the same softness and tenderness that so many mothers seemed to take naturally. Granted, she didn't look her crying toddler in the eye and tell her to suck it up, but she certainly didn't feel like letting her cry all over her shoulder either. The truth was that she and Adrianna were so fundamentally different that they both had to make compromises. For a while, they would go out and practice archery together and Astrid quite enjoyed listening to the strange and creative ideas her daughter would share with her on these occasions. Then puberty set in and Adrianna had gone from being a starry-eyed child to a hormonal wreck. Finn hadn't been a picnic either but at least he had ended up quite a bit like his mother.

Astrid had backed off when it came to her daughter's relationships. She didn't want to be an overbearing mother, especially since Hiccup was already quite adamant about keeping her safe on a physical and emotional level. Still, after all that, Adrianna had gotten her heart broken. Something deep within Astrid, maybe it was woman's intuition, knew that there was something distinctly not right about this. It wasn't an ordinary breakup and Brandyn's disappearance certainly wasn't going to make the problem go away.

It was as she struggled to yank her axe out of a particularly stubborn tree that Astrid caught sight of a dragon flying far above. She watched the dragon circle a bit, certain that it was familiar, when its rider leaped off and plunged downward. The dragon, a Monstrous Nightmare by the look of it, shot down next to its rider, who definitely wasn't wearing a flight suit. Astrid's stomach clenched. This felt like an exceedingly bad idea, especially when the rider began to rapidly approach the ground without mounting their dragon again.

"What are you-" Astrid muttered, dearly hoping that she wasn't about to witness a tragedy (and wishing Stormfly weren't off hunting somewhere). Then the rider came into plainer view. It was a woman with a long, blonde braid. "Oh my gods..."

Her axe forgotten, Astrid bolted toward the trees where Adrianna was about to land if she didn't mount Lily again soon. It was only just as she got to a clearing that she saw her daughter flying away less than fifty feet from the ground. A few more seconds and there wouldn't be a second Haddock heir.

"First Hiccup, now Adri..." Astrid muttered savagely to herself as she stomped toward the village. "Dumb enough that _he_ does it with that stupid suit."

She found her husband nearby, chatting with Horst. Tact not being her strong suit, she marched over and grabbed his arm. "I need to talk to you."

"Okay." Hiccup managed to say before she yanked him nearer to the woods. "What is it?"

"I just saw our daughter free falling." Astrid gestured toward the sky. "Without a flight suit."

Hiccup shrugged. "She's been flying since she was ten. I think she knows what she's doing."

"Are you... are you even _listening_ to yourself?" Astrid sputtered, surprised by his callousness. "She's in serious danger!"

"I free fell plenty before I made my suit. I'm sure she's skilled enough not to get herself killed."

Astrid gaped at him. "Why am _I_ the one worried about this when you're usually the one who panics?"

Hiccup breathed a laugh, which made Astrid's jaw clench in irritation. "It's not that, I just think she needs to cope with what happened any way she feels is best, short of actually hurting someone."

"She could hurt _herself_."

"I'll talk to her about it this evening." Hiccup said, his arms up in a placating gesture. "Okay? I'm sure there are a few safety measures we could instill before she gets her own flight suit."

"I'd feel better if she didn't do this _until_ she has her own." Astrid's eyes darted upward just in time to see her daughter zooming high above the village.

Hiccup glanced up and waved. Adrianna apparently didn't see this gesture but he didn't seem to mind. "I will take care of this. To be honest, free falling can be a bit addicting. But it's also safe if you're paying attention to what you're doing." at Astrid's glare, he faltered slightly. "I'll let her know she needs a flight suit. All right?"

"Okay. Whatever. Well I've got stuff to do. See you." Astrid walked away without another word, leaving her bewildered husband staring after her.

In the next few hours, Astrid tried to take to heart what Hiccup had told her. But she couldn't help but feel deeply uneasy. And if she had to be the one who worried for her child's safety this time, so be it.

* * *

After a long day at the forge, Finn liked a bit of time alone. Extroverted as he was, interacting with Gobber and various customers all day still wore him out quite a bit. It was as he was deciding to have dinner alone tonight when he caught sight of his sister curled up on the couch with her nose in a book.

"Oh. Hi." he said awkwardly. He wasn't expecting company. "I thought you were working."

"Canceled. Kari isn't feeling well this evening so her dad decided to stay home with her."

"Okay." Finn said, shrugging. "I'm going to make some stew. You want any?"

Adrianna looked up at him. "That sounds good. If you don't mind making extra."

"You should know by now that I am entrenched enough in this unmanly hobby to be willing to make extra stew for you."

"Look at you, using big words." Adrianna quipped. "I see my vocabulary is finally rubbing off on you."

Finn stuck out his tongue at her before walking over to the kitchen. Just as he passed Adrianna, he caught sight of something on her neck. His eyebrows furrowed and he stopped walking.

"What's that?" he asked, leaning forward to inspect a mark on her neck. Adrianna tried to put her hand on her neck but Finn pushed it out of the way. "Is that a bruise?"

"It's nothing." Adrianna put her book down and got off the couch. "Don't worry about it."

"It's in the shape of a _thumb_." Finn crossed his arms. "As is the one on your wrist that I noticed yesterday."

Adrianna was momentarily speechless. She averted his gaze, instead looking at her wrist. "I... it's not a big deal. I'm fine."

"Did Brandyn leave those bruises?" Finn asked, his voice more timid than he'd intended.

"I... he's gone, it doesn't matter."

"Did he leave them?" Finn repeated, his voice much stronger.

Adrianna didn't respond. She instead looked down at her feet.

Finn felt his blood curdle. "I'm going to kill him."

Adrianna shook her head. "No. Don't. You'll just make it worse."

"For who?"

"For _you_. You're the heir and it wouldn't look good if you-"

"Pounded the guy who hurt you into the ground like a pancake?"

Adrianna's mouth quirked into a tiny smile. "Pretty much."

Finn crossed his arms tightly. "This isn't about me. He never should have touched you, let alone hurt you. What was going on that he ever left a mark, especially on your _neck_?"

Adrianna didn't respond, instead keeping her eyes fixed on her feet.

"You shouldn't be defending him. Hey, look at me." Finn sauntered over so that he stood directly in front of her. He waited for her to look up at him to continue. "I know more than anyone that abuse makes you do crazy things. And it _always_ matters."

Adrianna flinched at the word. Finn didn't like speaking it either, gods knew he hated going into detail about his time as a slave, but it had to be said.

Adrianna swallowed, rubbing her bare arms. "You think he was abusive?"

"I don't know for sure but I know when something's wrong with you. What happened?"

"Other than the feud between him and Erick, and him cheating on me with Dana?" Adrianna asked bitterly.

Finn sighed. "If I'd known, I'd have knocked his teeth out. I worked with him every day, I should've _noticed_ something."

"Well, he was a good liar." Adrianna muttered.

"That doesn't matter! Whatever he was doing, it wasn't right. He's a big guy, he could really hurt-" Finn stopped suddenly, his heart performing a horrible sort of belly flop against his ribs. "Did he... do anything else?"

"No."

"Don't lie, Anna."

"It doesn't matter what he did because he's _gone_! I drove him off myself!" Adrianna blurted out, looking angry for the first time since they had started talking.

Finn slowly blinked. "How'd that happen?"

"That's why there was blood on my sleeve. I took a dagger with me to tell him to leave. He fought back. That's what happened." Adrianna said firmly.

"Did you stab him?"

"No." Adrianna bit her lip for a moment. "I slashed his eye. There was a lot of blood, some of it got on my sleeve."

"And the floor of the house." Finn said, realization dawning on him.

"I guess. Why, did you go over there?" Adrianna looked slightly nervous.

"No. Mom and dad did and they said there was blood. Signs of a struggle. You did that?" Finn couldn't decide whether he was proud or horrified that his five foot three inch sister had singlehandedly driven off a guy that size.

"Yes. I told him to go and he fought back and I cut him and he left. That's what happened, okay?" Adrianna said, her voice trembling. "Just... please don't tell mom and dad about this. I just want it to be over. I don't ever want to think about him again and if they fuss over me, it's all going to come back up."

Finn held up his hands in surrender. "Okay! I'm not going to go blab. I mean if they ask I'm not going to lie-"

Adrianna frowned. "Finn-"

"Let me finish," Finn interrupted. "If they ask I'm not going to lie but I will _also_ tell them that you don't want to be heckled."

"Assuming they listen to you."

"If I don't want to be heckled about slavery then it shouldn't be any different for you."

Adrianna looked up at him in surprise. "You seem to bring that up a lot lately."

Finn shrugged. "Just because I don't want to talk about it doesn't mean I don't think about it s great deal."

Adrianna hummed in agreement. "I can understand that."

"Look at us, seeing eye to eye," Finn smirked, turning into the kitchen. "You'd almost think we were twins!"

"Ha ha." Adrianna drawled, plopping into a chair.

Finn cheerily pulled pots and pans out of the cupboards and began making their stew. He felt more relaxed now that he knew the story. Everything made sense now. But because his back was turned, he didn't see his sister slump in defeat with a guilty frown plastered to her face.


	10. Getting Back to Normal

When Inga arrived at work for her usual allotted morning shift, she hadn't expected Mara to thrust a large basket of medical supplies into her arms and point a stiff finger out the door.

"Maggie has the flu. Can you refill the medical supplies in the Academy for her?"

Inga nodded firmly. She turned and marched out the door, pulling it closed with her ankle as she went. Just before the door closed she thought she heard raucous laughter coming from Cliff's corner of the hut. Good, that meant he could go home soon and stop ruining her days with painfully cheesy jokes.

The Jorgenson girl marched through the streets purposefully, her head held high as she went. She gave a warm smile to everyone she came across, thinking about her work schedule as she went. A few streets away from Mara's, she was delighted to be joined by her Changewing, Mystie.

"Hey girl!" Inga grinned. "Care to give me a ride to the Academy?"

Her Changewing grinned toothily as if to say Of course! She crouched for the teenager to slide into her saddle before they took off. Inga sighed in relief, thankful they had dragons. It saved so much time and energy from walking across the entire village. She couldn't imagine a time where dragons were enemies, born from a blood feud centuries old. She gave her dragon an affectionate scratch as the Academy loomed into view. Mystie hummed appreciatively and dove toward the entrance.

"Thanks Mystie," Inga slid to the ground and walked into the stone tunnel that led inside, her dragon on her heels. She heard the clashing of metal against metal and yelling. She stood in the large doorway, the iron gate looming above her head. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight before her.

Fearless Finn ducked from an oncoming sword and parried a blow from his other side. Thorein and Evan circled him, a grin present on the former's face and a scowl on the other's. Evan pitched a yell and lunged forward; Finn spun out of reach and blocked an oncoming blow from Thorein, who'd crept up on him from behind.

Evan kicked the back of Finn's knee, forcing him to crumple beneath Thorein's sword. Finn slid his blade across Thorein's in a swift diagonal motion and swung it toward Evan, who leapt back to avoid the swing. Finn used his momentum to roll backwards and pop back onto his feet.

The boys continued to spar around the Academy, a few adults watching on with critical expressions. Who exactly they were critiquing Inga wasn't sure, but all three boys seemed to know what they were doing. She was impressed anyway.

Inga winced when Finn smacked the butt of his sword into Thorein's nose. The dark-haired boy went down, nose streaming with blood. Evan and Finn's swords flashed, Evan backing the heir further into the arena. Finally, a gradual look of irritation overtook Finn's face.

Throwing up his sword, Finn blocked Evan's sword overhead and shoved it to one side. Evan noticed his error too late. Finn came forward in a single fast movement and smacked his forehead against Evan's.

When Evan hit the ground hard, Inga realized her eyes were wide as saucers. She knew Finn had a talent for hand-to-hand combat… but wow.

"Good work," Astrid strode into the center of the Academy. "But we have a lot of work to do. Thorein, you're too slow. Evan, your right side is weak; put some muscle into it. Finn…"

Inga wished she could see his face, but unfortunately his back was to her.

Astrid pondered her words. "Don't get cocky. Boys, ice your faces."

Thorein and Evan dragged themselves off the cobblestones with groans. Finn turned to the side, sheathing his sword and quite suddenly looked toward her. Inga gave a startled, rather undignified "eep" before scuttling off to the medical area.

As she stuffed rolls of cloth and ointments into the box, Inga fumed to herself. She simply couldn't understand why she was acting so weird all of a sudden! She'd always disliked Finn from the start. But it seemed since their little encounter in the woods a while back had sparked a new fire in her soul and mind that she just couldn't destroy.

Inga Jorgenson prided herself in honesty and loyalty and a no-nonsense attitude. But she couldn't lie to herself anymore… She liked Fearless Finn Haddock.

With a groan of annoyance, Inga turned a glare over her shoulder. There he was across the Academy, standing tall in his protective armor. The ends of his red hair were a shade darker from sweat, a few strands plastered to his forehead. He laughed at something one of the other boys said; he even went so far as to bite his bottom lip, which for some strange reason made her insides turn to jelly. When he took a long swig of water from a cup she couldn't help but think that he was perhaps the most gorgeous boy she'd ever met.

Inga blinked and slapped herself, turning back towards the medical supplies. This was ridiculous. It wasn't fair! He shouldn't be allowed to have this effect on her! Especially when such a thing could never be reciprocated. Finn would never come to like her. Their age difference alone made that difficult. To him, she was still just a little kid, she was sure of it.

Sure they teased each other relentlessly and bickered like an old married couple, but that didn't mean they had THAT much in common. She wasn't that concerned about boys anyway, who was she kidding? She had enough to worry about from working at the healer's and trying to keep herself healthy, even help out at home when she could. At thirteen, the last thing she needed to worry about was boys. Especially that one.

Inga's gaze flitted back to Finn when he laughed out loud. Her eyes slid to his chest; the fact that she now knew just how toned his body was certainly did NOT help things.

While she was staring and thinking, she barely noticed Thorein smirk from under the cloth holding his nose and mumble something to the other boys. Finn and Evan turned toward her and they too smirked. That's when Inga realized they'd just caught her staring.

Twisting once again back to her work, her heart pounding in her chest, she set to haphazardly throwing items into the box. Surely this job didn't take very long anyway. Mara would be wondering where she was and what was taking so long. She couldn't tell her what had delayed her. Inga Jorgenson was focused and on time and-

"Hey."

Inga jumped, nearly dropping a box of cloths. Her eyes landed on Finn, who'd just materialized beside her without her notice or permission. She quickly turned a look over her shoulder, which showed minus one Fearless Finn by Thorein and Evan (whose relentless snickering she ignored). She turned back toward Finn, ignoring his wild smirk and raised her chin. Gods, he was even more gorgeous up close.

Inga! Focus!

"Hello Finn." Inga said in a clipped tone.

Finn leaned against the stone wall. "How's your day going?"

Her day? Why was he asking how her day was going? It's not like he thought about her outside of the few times a week they maybe ran into each other, so why would he care how her day was going?

Instead of voicing these thoughts, she replied, "Good. Yours?"

Finn watched her fumble with more supplies. "Fine. Just stocking things up?"

"Yup." While the conversation was mainly small talk, Inga was freaking out inside. Why did he come all the way across the Arena to talk to her? Did the boys put him up to it? Did he feel bad because she was by herself?

"Need any help with that?"

Inga frowned at him. "Why?"

Finn shrugged. "You're shaking."

"I'm not shaking!" Inga pronounced perhaps a little too loudly.

"You're nervous."

"Pft," Inga closed the drawers to the medical box. "What do I have to be nervous about? It's just-"

"Just what?" Finn asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. He looked like he was feigning innocence.

Inga narrowed her eyes, staring him down. "Just you." Her heart plunked to her boots. She'd meant it to sound cold; it came out a lot softer and warmer than she meant. Aaaaaand now he was smirking. She felt heat rise to her face. She couldn't decide if she wanted to stare into his icy blue eyes forever or look away.

Finn blinked and looked away, smirk evaporating. "Anyway… can I ask you a favor?"

A favor? Inga gulped, but feigned nonchalance. "Like what?"

What could he need from her? She didn't have much to offer him. Pass a message from parent to parent? No, the chief wouldn't use his son to pass a message to her to pass a message to her father who was on the council. That wouldn't make sense. Maybe he was wondering about Cliff? Well, that wouldn't be a favor… he'd just ask. A small, teensy-weensy part of her freaked out and wondered if he wanted to meet sometime, like that one time in the woods-

"Could you look at Thorein's nose? I think I might've broken it."

Inga deflated. "Oh. Sure."

Finn's brow furrowed. "You okay?"

Inga gave him a resolute "yup", turned on her heel and marched toward the other boys.

Finn seemed to sense the sudden shift in her mood because he merely followed her and didn't press the issue. Stupid boy and his stupid words and stupid face that made her turn to goo and then ask stupid questions to fix stupid things that were his stupid problem anyway. Stupid boy! Stupid feelings! Stupid-

"OW!" Thorein yelped.

"Oh!" Inga winced, shaking her hands in front of the teen apologetically. "Sorry…" She gingerly tilted Thorein's face upward so she could inspect it better. Carefully she inspected the bridge of his nose, which was swollen and turning purple and blue. "It might just be a sprain but if you want the best opinion I'd go to Mara's. Just ice it when you get home. Should at least bring the swelling down."

"Hm, tanks doc," Thorein moaned nasally and leaned back against the wall. He glared up at Finn through heavy eyelids. "Why're 'ou so vicious?"

Finn held up his palms. "Sorry. Don't put your face in front of my sword."

"So competitive." Thorein moaned, a hand hovering over his face. He clearly wanted to hold his nose but didn't for fear of making it bleed again.

"That's what happens when you're born a Haddock," Finn shrugged. "The love of competition is in the blood."

"Please, we Jorgensons have more competitive spirit than you." Inga smirked.

"And yet who won the last Thawfest Games?" Finn shrugged his eyebrows.

Inga turned and punched his arm, which barely moved. "I loathe you." She tried not to think about the feel of his strong bicep under her fist.

Finn smirked, crossing his arms and leaning against the stone wall. "Nah you love me."

Heart pounding, Inga scowled. "No."

"Yup."

"Nope."

"Eeeeeyup."

"No, I don't so shut your stupid face!"

Finn breathed a laugh and looked away. Evan snorted from a nearby stool; Thorein wore a triumphant smirk on his face. Inga couldn't believe how he could always find something to laugh about concerning her when she wasn't even doing anything. Did he exist to mock her?

Oh, that was the gods' curse: Make her birth happen almost four years after him so there'd be a humongous age gap, but make him totally and irrevocably amazing in every way so she couldn't just not have him, she'd have to suffer day in and day out by watching. The unattainable boy Fearless Finn and the forever alone Inga Jorgenson, destined to never be together forever.

Oh, for the love of- This was ridiculous! Here she was standing around moaning and griping inside over a boy! This was unacceptable behavior!

"Ohhhhh Haddock!" Inga growled and snatched Thorein by the arm.

"Owwww…"

"Oh shut up and come on."

"Where're 'ou 'aking me?" Thorein asked in a whiny, nasally voice.

"The healer's, dummy," Inga pulled him up and ushered him toward the entrance. She just needed to get out of here before she embarrassed herself further.

"Take care of my bro, sweetheart!"

Inga whirled around with stormy blue eyes. "Don't call me sweetheart!"

Finn grinned. "Whatever you say, Beauty."

* * *

Erick was bored out of his mind. He hadn't felt like going to dinner and listening to Finn, Thorein, and Evan talking about their fighting techniques one more time, nor did he much feel like getting punched on the shoulder if he as much as dared sit down next to Inga and her friends. As he began to think about making himself some soup, a loud BANG shook the house and he nearly fell out of his chair. He whipped around to find the door dangerously close to detaching from its hinges and a figure standing in the middle.

"I have arrived!" announced Cliff, arms outstretched.

Erick leaped to his feet and nearly tackled him in a hug. Cliff began to laugh openly.

"I should get poisoned more often!" Cliff chirped when Erick let him go, massaging his ribs but smiling from ear to ear.

"Don't." said Erick, clapping his friend on the back. "Let's just pretend this didn't happen."

"Done and done!" Cliff eyed the floor. "You didn't pick up your sock."

Erick glanced over at the sock on the ground. "Would you be okay with it if it was abstract art?"

Cliff narrowed his eyes. "No. And why didn't you come to see me?"

"You were only out for two days." Erick rolled his eyes. "And I _did_! You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you up or Inga would have let me have it. Is it true you and Taryn were making a racket?"

"It is undeniably true." Cliff waggled his eyebrows. "But my absence should not excuse you and your poor cleaning habits."

"Meh!" Erick stuck his tongue out at Cliff before picking up his sock. "There. Happy?"

"Almost." Cliff crossed his arms. "Now toss it in your room."

"What if I just hold it?" Erick tossed the sock in the air and caught it.

"No! Throw it in your room!" Cliff's face reddened slightly.

"I really wouldn't have pegged you as a neat freak."

"I'm not a neat freak, I just don't like socks all over the room!"

Erick looked around. "All over the room? Only sock I see is in my hand."

"Well I still don't like socks in the living room! Socks belong in the bedroom. Or the clothesline. Not the floor!"

"And dishes belong in the cupboards and dirt belongs outside. Face it, buddy. You're a neat freak."

"No I'm-"

"Catch!"

Cliff nearly dived out of the way of Erick's sock when he threw it. Erick laughed uproariously.

"Really though, I've missed you. Life's been boring without you." said Erick, jogging over and picking his sock up off the floor. "I'll take care of this right now."

He threw it into his room and closed the door so Cliff wouldn't have to look at it. Then the boys sat down and Erick asked Cliff to regale him in the adventures at the healer's. Most of the time, Erick didn't mind listening to Cliff's chatter, even if it was annoying. But today, he hung onto every word. He added his own thoughts, which only seemed to inspire Cliff to talk even _more_. The atmosphere in that little hourse was energetic and cheerful for the first time in weeks. With all the drama Erick had gone through and with Cliff gone for days, a bit of happiness was sorely needed.

They were surprised to hear a knock at the door a few minutes later. Adrianna was waiting outside, looking somewhat apprehensive. When Cliff leaped from his seat and hugged her, she hugged back but Erick could see an almost guilty expression on her face.

"Mind if I borrow Erick for a sec?" she asked when Cliff relinquished her.

"Be sure to bring him back in one piece!" he said cheerfully.

Adrianna averted her eyes when Erick turned back to look at her. For a moment, he wondered if she was going to cry. They walked out the door and shut it behind them.

"What's up?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"Brandyn's gone." Adrianna mumbled.

Erick felt slightly uncomfortable. "Um... I know. Hiccup told me."

Adrianna nodded. She still wouldn't meet his gaze. Finally, she took a deep, shuddering breath.

"I'm sorry I said what I said." she told him. "Brandyn wanted me to cut ties with you but I never wanted to."

Erick felt a surge of anger. He knew it. He _knew_ Brandyn had told her not to talk to him. Her behavior had been so strange, it couldn't have come from her. Trying to arrange his features into a far less angry expression, he chanced a step forward.

"It's okay. He's a big guy. Intimidating. Or, at least... well I hope that's not why you said all that."

Adrianna bit her lip, staring blankly into the distance. Erick knew this to mean that she was either thinking hard or not thinking at all. He wasn't sure which one it was. Finally, she audibly swallowed.

"He wasn't a very good boyfriend." she said in a choked sort of voice. "I learned that a bit too late."

Erick smiled at her in what he hoped was an understanding way. He couldn't help but notice that her eyes darted down to his dimples for a split second. He'd always known she liked them.

"C'mere." he said at last, figuring that she didn't know what to say next.

He extended his arms. She didn't flinch or turn away, instead she hugged him tightly, as if deeply relieved that he didn't hate her.

"I'm sorry!" she repeated, sounding close to tears now.

"It's fine. Forget about it." Erick muttered into her ear. "I was stupid too. We've both got plenty to apologize for."

_Gods_ , her hair was soft. She was wearing it down today, just as she had the day they'd kissed. He resisted the urge to run his fingers through it. Instead, he took a deep breath through his nose. She'd washed it recently. Today or yesterday. It smelled like a kind of flower he couldn't quite place. It was probably lilac, considering her love of the color. He could breathe it in all day.

When they finally broke apart, Adrianna smiled at last. "I'm really relieved." she admitted. "I thought you'd hate me."

"We've gotten into worse fights, Annie." Erick said softly. "I'm not mad. To be honest, I'm relieved too. I missed you. Even if it was just a few days."

"Yeah. So... we're cool?" Adrianna asked timidly.

"Absolutely. Although..." Erick thought about how to phrase what he was about to say. "I... think we should talk about it. What happened. If... if that's okay."

Adrianna stiffened slightly. "I think I want some time to deal with it on my own. With all this. I mean," she took a deep breath, "I know that kiss kind of... made us both feel some things. I'm not denying that. But after all this, after everything that's happened, I don't want to think about that right now. I just want some time. Okay?"

Erick dearly wanted to raise an objection but he held his tongue. She'd just broken up with her boyfriend of over a year. Any girl would want time to sort through her feelings after that. He tried to imagine how he would feel if the situation had been reversed, if Adrianna wanted to talk about their mutual feelings after he'd broken up with Taryn. He wouldn't have been too keen on that either.

"I'm always here when you need to talk." he said, trying to give her a friendly smile that didn't come off as pitying.

"I really appreciate that." Adrianna said through a deep breath. "But now isn't the time. I should probably let you get back to Cliff."

Erick didn't want to let her go. Something seemed so incredibly _wrong_ about how she was acting but she was right. These things took time. Expecting her to confess her secrets to him now, especially after everything they had gone through, was foolhardy. He was just relieved that she wasn't angry at him for blabbing about their kiss to the village. He felt a prickle of guilt at the thought.

"You'll be okay?" he asked as she turned to walk away.

"Yeah. I'll be fine." Adrianna said, shrugging.

If Erick had looked at her a split second longer, he would have caught it. Her mouth turning downward ever so slightly, eyebrows pinching together. He would have known that she had lied to him about being fine.

But he didn't.

* * *

An evening flight was enough to make Hiccup feel completely relaxed. Toothless had been pleased that he had the extra time today so the sun had already set before they landed in town. It was the first time in several weeks that they'd had this much extra time. Hiccup had been rushing around, dealing with altercations and harvest meetings and talking to Adrianna about her free falling. He felt at least somewhat surprised at how easily she had been convinced to stop until she had the proper equipment. She hadn't argued at all.

Life on Berk was finally getting back to normal in Brandyn's absence. Gobber had started training Vidar Jorgenson as a second apprentice and Finn seemed to like the boy's company. Adrianna had been moody for sure, eating less and snapping at people, but Hiccup was convinced she was still dealing with her break up.

It wasn't until he handed from his flight that Adrianna's emotional state came into question again. As he walked through the village, several Berkians waved to them and engaged them in conversation. Hiccup was just thinking about heading home and having a snack when he nearly ran into Matilda.

"Oh, I'm sorry." he said, helping her pick up the books she had dropped.

"It's fine." Matilda gathered her things and faced him, her brow furrowed slightly. "Actually, I have a bit of a concern, if you have a minute."

"I've got time. What's on your mind?"

Matilda took a deep breath, apparently thinking about how best to phrase what she was about to say. "It's Adrianna. She's acting... strange. Or she was today."

"Strange how?" Hiccup asked.

"She hardly ever comes in anymore but today, she showed up just as I was about to leave. Didn't even say hello, just ran in the back room and said she'd close the place when she was done." Matilda sighed. "I know she's going through a lot but still, that seemed off. I'm sure it's nothing but I wanted to let you know."

Hiccup glanced over in the direction of the library, where only one of the windows was illuminated. "I'll go see what's up."

"Thanks. Good night." Matilda nodded to him.

"Night."

Hiccup and Toothless trotted over to the library seconds later, the former deep in thought. Adrianna had been acting unusually for days but he hadn't thought much of it. He and Astrid had agreed to keep their distance to prevent her from shutting them out completely. They had thought that surely she would be okay if she had some time to deal with what happened.

He opened the door to the library and stepped in, Toothless at his heels. It was very dark. He didn't like his daughter being alone in the dark building where anyone could come in and do gods knew what to her. But now was not the time for lectures. He quickly found the back door and pushed it open.

The door immediately hit a small pile of books. Hiccup looked down and saw books littering the floor, most of them lying open on the ground as if they'd been thrown there. An overturned bookshelf was to the left and in front of it was his daughter, standing rigidly with her back to him.

"Matilda, I _said_ I'd-" Adrianna snapped as she whipped around. Upon facing Hiccup, her mouth dropped open in shock. "Oh..."

Hiccup edged his way in, leaving the door open so Toothless could see but silently instructing him to stay out of the smaller space. The dragon plopped to the ground with his head resting on his paws, concern for Adrianna etched in his features.

"Um..." Hiccup was at a loss for words. Finn was the sort of person who threw things when upset but Adrianna never did. At least not often enough to be noteworthy. "Everything okay?"

Adrianna pursed her lips. "Smashing."

"I can see that." said Hiccup with a small chuckle.

Adrianna didn't laugh. After a long pause in which neither of them seemed to have anything to say, Hiccup bent down and began picking up several of the books. He had no idea what could have upset her. A goofy comic book? No, she loved silly things like that. Maybe this book on common medical ailments? Well if they were common, it wasn't like she was dying. Perhaps this book on knitting patterns? Heavens no, she didn't have the patience for knitting. He looked up to find Adrianna's shoulders slumped, her arms crossed in front of her chest as if she wanted to shrink until she disappeared.

"What's the matter?" he finally asked, righting the overturned shelf and returning the books to it.

Adrianna's frown deepened. "Nothing."

"Addie."

"Nothing!" she snapped, turning so he couldn't see her face.

Hiccup straightened up, leaving the stack of books he'd collected on top of the shelf. "You know that's not true. Finn is the one who breaks things when he's upset. And he lashes out at just about everyone. But I've never heard from Matilda that you've ever lashed out at her once." Adrianna didn't respond but he could see her jaw clench. "So what's wrong?"

Adrianna shook her head, her hand now covering her eyes like she was about to cry. Hiccup felt conflicted. Her positioning implied that she certainly didn't want to be touched but at the same time, if she was this upset, wasn't there something he could do? Something he _should_ do?

"Addie, really, what is it?" Hiccup asked again, this time more softly.

"I _hate_ boys!" she blurted out so suddenly, Hiccup jumped.

"Yeah." said Hiccup with a small, wistful smile. "They're the absolute worst."

He was half expecting a sarcastic comeback. He certainly wouldn't have let the opportunity go to waste and his daughter could be very snarky when she felt like it. But a few seconds of dead silence later, he knew she was far too upset to make a joke.

Hiccup didn't know much about breakups. He knew how painful it could be to see a relationship crumble, his near divorce ten years ago had given him that lesson. But that was a different situation. He and Astrid had worked out their problems. Adrianna would never work them out with Brandyn, that much he knew. She had descended into deep depression in the last few days. It wasn't just her constant exhaustion and refusal of meals that concerned him, it was her sudden change from near recovery. Did she just miss Brandyn now? He wished she would tell him, like she would have when she was small.

He made a decision in an instant as her shoulders slowly hunched over even more. Walking over to where she was standing, he gently touched her shoulder.

"Addie," he murmured, "come here."

He had almost expected her to refuse, and he wouldn't have blamed her if she had. Instead, she turned around and immediately put her arms around him, clinging to him as if this was their final goodbye.

"It will be okay." he whispered to her, holding her tightly. "Things will get better."

"He ruined _everything_." she whimpered, burying her face in his neck.

"Not everything." Hiccup smoothed her long hair in the middle of her back, at a loss for what to say. He knew that having a relationship end so suddenly had to be devastating, especially for someone her age. He couldn't imagine what she was going through. But he knew one thing for sure. "He didn't ruin _you_."

He didn't know whether it was in response to his words but she clung to him tighter. Ordinarily he loved being hugged by either of his children. But this one felt more like the one he'd given her when he was on his way to Brawn for his duel with Dagur. They didn't know if they would ever see each other again. Adrianna had held him tightly then, sobbing into his shoulder. She wasn't crying this time but he wondered if she was holding herself back. Whatever the reason, she was clearly devastated about something.

"I'm sorry." Hiccup said softly. "Breakups aren't easy."

"You and mom got lucky." Adrianna swallowed thickly.

"Still, it was never easy. No relationship is." they broke apart and he kissed her forehead. "You just need a bit of time to heal."

His daughter nodded but didn't quite meet his eye. "I'm sorry. I'll clean up."

Hiccup had been so focused on Adrianna that he had forgotten that the room was still a wreck. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'll take care of it. You should head home." he patted her back. "It's dark outside so take Toothless with you. I'll be back." Adrianna nodded and walked toward the door. "I don't know if this will make you feel better, Addie, but if I ever see him again, I will punch his face in."

"He deserves worse." Adrianna said darkly before disappearing into the night, Toothless at her side.


	11. Unexpected Complications

Seventeen.

That was the first thing that had popped into Finn's head when he woke up on his birthday. And it was still on his mind when he ate a good breakfast of bacon and eggs and walked to his job with his head held high.

It didn't take him long to notice a shift in the attention he received. He got many "happy birthday"s as he strolled through town on the way to work, but the way others looked at him as if he was suddenly more important, it all made him a tiny bit uncomfortable. He decided to talk to Gobber about this on his lunch break once Vidar had gone off to find his twin.

"Not goin' to meet your admirers?" Gobber asked when he noticed Finn standing there, his lunch bag in his hands and his brow furrowed slightly.

"Uhh... I will." said Finn with a little shrug. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"All right." Gobber put down the sword he was attempting to repair and seated himself on a stool.

"Did my dad have any reservations about becoming chief when he turned 17?" Finn asked, drawing up another stool to sit down.

Gobber looked thoughtful for a moment. "He didn't think too much about it, to be honest. Too busy snogging your mother in this very back room and thinking I didn't know what he was doing."

"Yeah, if we could maybe _not_ talk about my parents making out, that'd be great." Finn said with a grimace.

"Oh I could tell you a few stories about your parents that would make your hair stand on end. Not that it needs it." Gobber nudged Finn's shoulder with the boulder in place of his left hand. "But to answer your question, he wasn't too fussed about it at your age. And you shouldn't be either. Barring any serious accidents, you've got a little ways to go before you take over. I don't think Hiccup's going to hand you your birthright tonight at your party. In fact, I know he's not."

"Yeah but you just brought up my next point. If my dad dropped dead tomorrow, the entire village would go to me. I know I'm not ready for it." Finn scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "And I don't think the village trusts me after the whole gang debacle."

"You'd be surprised. I think your efforts to redeem yourself have done more than you think." Gobber gave Finn an understanding sort of smile. "But I get what you're trying to ask. And no, you're not ready for it. But neither was Hiccup. And neither was Stoick."

"Pop- Stoick wasn't ready to be chief?" Finn's memories of his grandfather were a bit fuzzy but the man certainly exuded confidence in his job. "That sounds a bit... out of character."

"And you were born decades after he started. 'Course he was confident by then. And your dad is now. So will you once you get the hang of things." Gobber said, pointing his boulder attachment at Finn. "You've got time, Finn. Don't stress yourself out before you started. It's your birthday!"

"Yeah. I know." Finn smiled. "It's still a lot of pressure and now it's pretty real." he sighed. "I miss Benen."

"He'd be proud of you." Gobber assured him.

"You think?"

"I don't think. I know." Gobber tapped his helmet with his boulder. "Now get outta here before your lunch break ends. I'm pretty sure your friends are missing you."

"Ahh I can't stick around and hang out with my favorite old timer?" Finn chortled as he stood up.

"Well you could." Gobber shrugged. "I just thought you'd want to spend more time with people your age."

"Aww but I wanted to hear your tales about hunting dinosaurs in your youth."

"I'm still your elder and I can still smack you if you get out of line!" Gobber shouted but his lips twitched in an almost smile.

Finn laughed. "All right, don't get your skivvies in a twist. See you in a bit. And thanks. For... listening. I guess."

Gobber waved as Finn left the hot forge to join the other teenagers outside. Zap, who had been snoozing outside of the forge for the last few hours, hopped to her feet and ran forward to lick his face.

"Aww, Zappy!" Finn put his hands up to shield himself from the slobber. "I missed you too, princess."

"Roorooorooo!" Zap half growled in the back of her throat.

"Yes, I know, being away from you for as much as five seconds is too- aww baby, what did they do to you?" Finn cooed, now noticing a bright pink party hat atop his precious dragon's head.

"I made her festive!" Cliff chirped before rushing forward and tackling Finn to the ground. "And now you're getting your birthday punches!"

"Lemme go!" Finn yelped, trying to get out from underneath the skinnier boy.

Cliff punched his shoulder. "That's one!"

"Erick, help!"

Erick stood above the boys, his arms crossed and an amused smirk on his face. "Nah, I'd rather see how this plays out."

"Sadist." Finn growled as Cliff punched him for the fourth time.

"It's tradition, Finneroni!" Cliff punched him a fifth time. "All birthday boys get punches!"

"Aww, does this mean you're not going to punch my twin?"

"Nah, Erick's going to kiss her!"

Erick opened his mouth to retaliate but was swiftly interrupted by Finn shaking Cliff off after his tenth punch and running away as fast as he could. Cliff wasted no time in pursuing him.

"I only got seven more to go!" Cliff shouted as Finn bolted toward the trees. "Come back and let me honor this tradition!"

"Nope!" Finn called over his shoulder.

Zap, who seemed to enjoy the spectacle before her, began chasing the boys. Apparently her rider being knocked to the ground and punched didn't warrant her protection. Or perhaps she knew Cliff too well to think he was going to cause any serious damage.

So absorbed in running away from Cliff as Finn was, he didn't notice Inga until he ran headlong into her, nearly knocking her over. Cliff skidded to a halt, watching as the two teenagers regained their footing.

"I think I'll leave you two alone. I still owe you seven punches." he said gleefully before walking away, a happy bounce in his step.

"Clumsy oaf." Inga said almost affectionately as she picked up the small tin she was carrying. "Watch where you're going next time, Haddock."

"Yeah because it's easy to watch where you're going and run away from an assailant at the same time." Finn said sarcastically. "Maybe you should watch where _you're_ going."

"Or maybe you should accept your punishment for aging a year." Inga snipped with a grin. "Actually, I was looking for you. I made you these." she shoved the tin into Finn's hands.

"Uh oh. What did you do?" Finn handled the tin as if it was a bomb about to go off.

"Don't be stupid, they're just cookies."

"Poisoning me on my own birthday? Really? You hate me that much?" Finn smirked at the look of sheer annoyance on Inga's face.

"I will smack you." she said through gritted teeth.

Finn held up his hands in mock surrender. "Oh no! That's the worst possible thing that could ever happen to me!" he held his hands in front of his face. "Please don't slap me, Inga, I'm begging you!"

To her credit, Inga didn't slap him. Instead, she punched him in the gut. Finn laughed, though he had to admit that the place she'd punched did smart a bit. She was a lot stronger than she looked.

"You've maimed me." he whined dramatically. "How could you?"

"Stop your bellyaching and just try a cookie." Inga crossed her arms in a way that reminded Finn of his mother.

"A future chief has to be able to recognize assassination attempts, you know. You're being way too obvious." Finn laughed at the scowl that crossed her face. "Which is why I doubt this is an assassination attempt. I give you more credit."

"Oh I'm _so_ flattered." Inga said sarcastically.

Finn opened the tin with the air of someone trying to avoid a sleeping dragon in the dark. Inga cleared her throat impatiently. He extracted a cookie and took a small nibble. To his great surprise, it was pretty good.

"Is this... chocolate and peanuts?" he asked as he chewed.

"Yep."

"How did you know I liked peanuts?" Finn asked, taking a much bigger bite. "I never talk about it."

"I heard you complaining to Cliff that you barely ever get them 'cause Anna hates them." Inga said with a little shrug.

"It's so stupid!" Finn complained. "Make some cookies with nuts, some without!"

"Well these cookies are all yours." Inga smiled proudly. "And now you have a good reason not to share them."

"You're the best, Inga. Even if I don't act like it." Finn winked at her and could have sworn that, for a split second, her knees had gone a bit weak. Her brow furrowed as if she was annoyed at herself for being obvious. "See you tonight?"

"If I have to." Inga mock sighed before turning on her heel and walking back into the woods, joining Mystie, who had been sniffing at a tree root a few feet away.

Finn watched her go with a mischievous grin. He wasn't stupid. He knew she was losing a fight with herself whenever she was around him and he enjoyed watching the struggle. More than once, he'd caught her ogling him during training and even once in the woods. She wasn't the only girl who looked at him that way but she was the only one who clearly was fighting these intrusive feelings.

That was what Finn liked about Inga, when it came right down to it. He liked that she didn't only look at him as the heir of Berk. She obviously judged him on his own merits, which was why she was so angry at herself for having such a big crush. Finn had to admit that, of all the girls on Berk, she was the only one who could keep up with him and put him in his place. Sometimes she could be downright childish but then other times, she would exhibit a maturity he wouldn't have expected. It was these moments that made him feel a bit guilty for how he felt.

It wasn't only Inga fighting her feelings. Finn knew he didn't have it nearly as bad but he couldn't help looking out of the forge window whenever she passed by. He loved bantering with her. He loved making her stomp her feet in frustration. It was the best kind of flirting. But the fact remained that she was only thirteen years old and he was a big, beefy seventeen year old himself. Hardly age appropriate. Perhaps when she was fourteen, it might be a bit different. Thirteen seemed extremely young for a relationship.

Finn suddenly shook his head. What was he thinking? Inga Jorgenson was completely out of his league anyway. She deserved better than a dumb guy who had once attempted to destroy as much of Berk's treasures as possible. She deserved someone who would have the time to take care of her should she suffer from any more seizures.

Still, he had to admit that she knew him pretty well. Had she improved her recipe for him? Did she sit on the information about his love for peanuts in his cookies until his special day? It was maddening how difficult girls were to understand.

Everyone always made fun of them and their friendship. He could hear the older folk whisper that it was just a matter of time, rather like they had when Adrianna and Erick were young and playing together. He hadn't taken these whispers seriously. But now? Well, now he couldn't help but wonder if they knew something he didn't.

* * *

The banners were hung, ridiculous party hats were distributed by Cliff, and a mound of presents sat at the far table in the Great Hall. The birthday party of the twin children of the chief was all ready to go. It didn't take long for the Hall to fill up. Finn could be seen with a group of admirers within the first few seconds of his arrival. Adrianna had sidled in and stuck to the walls, chatting with Erick and Taryn in the corner.

Hiccup looked around in satisfaction. Truth be told, he loved birthdays. His own was so rare, it was quite special when he got to celebrate it on the actual day but the twins' birthday was different. He had never really considered the term until he had witnessed the birth of his children. Since then, he could fully appreciate what this day really meant. It was a joyful day for certain. He could never forget Finn's scrunched up little face or Adrianna sucking on her fist just after she had started breathing. He remembered Finn plunging his head into the cake on his first birthday, emerging with a huge smile and his face coated in blue frosting. Tiny Adrianna on her third birthday absolutely delighted by the butterflies he had painted on her wall. The twins getting their dragons on their tenth birthday. All of them stuck out in Hiccup's memory for one reason or another and they gave him a reason to smile. Through the ups and downs, the twins were truly some of the best gifts he'd ever received.

And now they were seventeen.

The thought was truly horrifying. They had been so _little_ not long ago. Looking at Finn laughing with his friends, Hiccup couldn't believe he had been able to fit his son in one hand. That his curvy daughter had once been a laughing toddler who listened to her bedtime stories with rapt attention. Had the gods sped up time? He wasn't ready for them to be adults yet.

And yet he was confident. Finn had grown into a mature young man and Adrianna into a compassionate young woman. They were fine, Hiccup thought.

"Sometimes, I think your head would come off if it weren't attached."

Hiccup started slightly but relaxed when he spotted his grinning wife, her arm snaking around his waist.

"You're probably right." said Hiccup. "I'd leave it in the clouds and Toothless would have to go looking for it."

"He'd find it."

The couple laughed. Hiccup put his arm around Astrid's shoulders.

"I just..." Astrid paused a moment to collect her thoughts. "I just can't believe they both somehow fit inside me at one point."

"It really is a miracle." Hiccup nodded. "But look how far they've gotten."

"I'm not sure I'd want the baby days back." Astrid nudged Hiccup's side. "Finn puked all over you once, do you remember?"

"Never did get the smell out of my flight suit." Hiccup shook his head. "Good thing I made this one then." he gestured to the outfit he was wearing.

"Just slobber marks now." Astrid patted a spot on the chest.

"Well that wasn't the twins." Hiccup narrowed his eyes at Toothless, who was now wearing a party hat as well. "That was a giant lizard who doesn't listen."

"Can't really blame him. He just loves you." Astrid reached up and kissed Hiccup's cheek. "And I think we should give the twins our gifts now."

"It's a little early."

"Yeah but I don't want to wait that long!" Astrid practically skipped over to the table with presents and whistled loudly so everyone would turn to look at her. "We'll let you get back to your fun in a second. We just wanted to give the twins our sort of coming-of-age gifts."

Finn sprinted over, his conversation with friends forgotten. Adrianna approached a bit more cautiously, like she thought the gifts might explode.

"Since you're of age, we thought it was about time you got something really useful for some of your adult responsibilities. Helped me a lot, anyway." Hiccup clapped Finn on the back. "Well, open it!"

"All right, hold your dragons, dad!" Finn ripped open the paper and pulled out a folded leather... _thing._ "Woah..."

When he had straightened it out, Finn was holding a flight suit in black with dark green accents. The suit had some thicker parts, which seemed to conceal armor.

"The legs have a material that doesn't conduct all of Zap's... zaps." Hiccup gestured to the pants. "So you won't get shocked again."

"Dad, this is... wow." Finn's blue eyes were wide with wonder as he turned the suit around in his hands.

"Oh and," Hiccup grabbed a smaller object off the table, "don't forget this."

He handed Finn a mask, rather like his own. Finn beamed at him.

"Can I try this on now?"

"Go for it!" Hiccup clapped Finn on the back and Finn bolted toward a broom closet so he could change in private. "And Addie, open yours."

Adrianna, who had been silently watching her brother with his new suit, now turned to her own gift. She opened the slightly smaller package to reveal yet another leather object.

"Is it..." she raised it up so everyone could see. "Oh... wow."

Hiccup was _really_ pleased about this particular gift. He had put it together in much less time than he had Finn's and it came out splendidly. The flight suit was also black, but with royal purple highlights as well. He had measured Thalia Smedley for this suit, since she and Adrianna were roughly the same size, but made it adjustable just in case something was a bit snug or roomy. If his daughter was going to take after him and leap off her dragon in midair, at least she could fall with style.

"What do you think?" Astrid asked as the audience murmured their approval of the flight suit.

"It's... I... thank you."

Adrianna didn't look as happy as her brother had, something Hiccup had not overlooked. But a split second later, she smiled and hugged him.

"You're welcome, Addie." Hiccup said, enthusiastically hugging her back. "Do you want to try it on?"

"In a bit." Adrianna nodded. "I just... it's really beautiful, dad."

"Well you're beautiful." Hiccup kissed her forehead. "So I couldn't let it look ridiculous like mine."

"I like the buckles." Adrianna looked at them somewhat affectionately before placing the suit on the table. "Thanks again, daddy. Really."

Hiccup was about to respond when Finn emerged from the closet, wearing his suit for the first time. Astrid had been right about the green, he thought, because it really did compliment Finn's thick red hair. At seventeen, standing tall and decked out in leather, Hiccup couldn't help but be reminded of himself a little bit. Even the smirk on Finn's face was quite a bit like his own smirks at that age.

"You look _amazing_!" Astrid rushed forward to hug her son.

"Ahh, come on, mom!" Finn hugged her back but laughed. "Don't cry!"

"I'm not crying!" Astrid smacked Finn's chest. "I'm just proud that my baby boy is a grown man and that he's so _handsome_ now! I was afraid you'd get the worst of us both."

"Oy!" Hiccup chortled, sauntering over. "We have amazingly good looks, you and I!"

"We got lucky." Astrid pinched Finn's cheek, prompting him to roll his eyes. "Both our kids are real lookers."

"Yeah they definitely-" Hiccup turned to his daughter but she was gone. "Addie?"

"She said she was going to the outhouse." said Taryn.

"All right." Hiccup turned back to his son.

As everyone gushed over how good Finn looked in his new suit, no one had noticed Adrianna slipping out through the back. No one except a certain blond who certainly wasn't interested in watching Finn show off.

* * *

Erick felt a bit uneasy. It had been fifteen minutes and Adrianna still hadn't come back. So preoccupied was the crowd and even Hiccup and Astrid with Finn and his suit and all sorts of birthday wishes that no one else seemed to have noticed this fact. Gripped with a sudden concern, Erick excused himself and headed to the back of the Hall, ignoring the calls of other teens as he went.

The first thing Erick noticed was that the outhouse door was ajar. For a split second, he was afraid he would catch sight of something he shouldn't but before he could react, he realized that the tiny outhouse was empty.

So where was his best friend?

Something told Erick to wander to the right and into the forest behind the Hall. The sun shone through the branches of the trees, making a crisscross pattern against the ground. Erick kept his gaze low so that he wouldn't snag his prosthetic on a vine or tree root. As he walked through the woods, trying not to make too much noise, he finally heard whispers coming from a clearing just ahead of him.

"It's okay... it's okay... it's okay."

Erick crept toward the noise and took a moment to simply look at her. She was sitting on a log, her shoulders hunched and her hands in her hair. She continued to whisper her attempted assurances as Erick walked forward.

"Annie?"

Adrianna looked up at him with wide eyes. He'd half expected her to be crying, what with the ever increasing panic in her whispers. For a moment, she stared at him as if she was trying to figure out if he was actually standing there or not.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in an attempt to be nonchalant.

"I just... noticed you left." Erick replied with a warm smile.

Rather than respond, Adrianna averted his gaze and fixed it on the trees to her left. Erick's stomach began to knot uncomfortably. He had never seen her like this before... this _unresponsive_. Recently all of their conversations had been emotionally charged. But this reminded him of how he had acted the first few days after his father had died. And that made her behavior even more troubling.

"Unless I'm crazy," Erick took a tentative step forward, "the birthday girl is supposed to be the star of the party."

"No, that's Finn." Adrianna mumbled. "He's always the life of the party. And I'm... not."

"Aw, come on. That's not true. Everyone knows your brother can be... difficult." he let out a weak chuckle but she remained unresponsive.

"You shouldn't be seen with me." Adrianna said after a few tense seconds.

"What? Why?" Erick asked, genuinely surprised. She didn't respond. "Annie, come on. Something's wrong. Something you're not telling anyone."

"I'm fine." Adrianna said a bit too quickly.

Erick smiled a little bit. "I know you better than to believe that."

"Fine. I screwed up." she took a very shaky breath. "And you were right. About everything."

"What did you do?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"I just _can't_!"

Erick turned away in frustration and paced back and forth, focusing on the ground. His eye caught the bright reflection of the sun bouncing off the metal on his prosthetic. His brow furrowed in determination and he turned to her again.

"Look, Annie, for what it's worth, I owe you." he said softly.

Adrianna finally looked at him. "What?"

"I pushed you away and I was a complete jerk and I hurt you. And you forgave me for all that even though I gave you so many reasons not to. So yeah. I owe you this. Anything. It doesn't matter what you did, Annie. I'll forgive you because that's what you deserve." Erick paused for a moment before adding, "And because you're my best friend. And that's what best friends are supposed to do."

Adrianna remained silent but Erick knew the look she was giving him quite well. He was breaking down her defenses. But it didn't look like she was going to offer any information willingly.

"Is it Brandyn?" he paused when she flinched slightly at the name. But he knew he had to keep going, otherwise she would probably sit in silence until one of them decided to leave. "Is he coming back? Ah... that's a terrible question to ask, I'm sorry. But... I mean, gods, how do I say this? You were with him for a couple of years and a good friend also. I know it hurts right now and if I made it worse, I'm sorry-"

"It's not you." she interrupted in a timid voice. "It had nothing to do with you."

"Then what is it?" Erick asked, his concern for her mounting. "Is it because he's not here for today? I know he was here the last couple of-"

"Stop!" Adrianna suddenly exclaimed, causing her friend to jump in surprise. "Just stop talking."

Erick shut his mouth with a snap. Something in the pit of his stomach continued to tighten as he watched her turn away a bit more and take several deep breaths. He waited patiently for her to get up the courage to say what it was she clearly needed to say.

"I'm p..." her breath escaped her and she took a shaky gulp of air.

Erick's mind began to race. What could be so horrible that she couldn't even get the words out? He watched her take several more deep breaths before she suddenly let out a tiny sob as the words finally came out.

"I'm pregnant."

Never in Erick's life had he heard such an anguished little wail come from another human being. She sounded like a baby dragon who had fallen out of its nest. It was a terrified cry for help, a tortured voice nearly drowned out by the sounds of the forest around them.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, now wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way and I'm so sorry."

"Annie, hey." Erick waited for her to look at him. "Okay, ah... look, this is just going to have to be weird but there's no watering it down. Did you and Brandyn have sex?" Adrianna jerked at his blunt words. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "But I have to understand what exactly happened. Did you... want it?"

She down at her hands in her lap. Erick felt a wave of unease, a distinct feeling that he knew the answer to this question. The thought made him sick but he needed to know for sure. Very slowly, he got on his knees in front of her and held her fidgeting hands. He could feel them shaking. Giving them a reassuring squeeze, he waited for her to meet his eye before he spoke again.

"Annie, did he rape you?" the words felt disgusting, the very last thing he ever wanted to ask someone he loved so much.

Adrianna closed her eyes. Two tears streaked down her face before she nodded.

Erick felt his insides freeze, his heart pounding in his chest, his head swirling with more thoughts than he could process. But as he watched more tears slide down her cheeks, her whole body shaking with terror, he found himself unable to be angry at her. On the contrary, he felt overwhelmed with sorrow for her and, almost as if it was instinctual, watched himself slip his hands from hers so that he could wrap her in his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder as she allowed him to hold her, gently stroking her hair and allowing her to soak his tunic with her tears.

"It's okay." he whispered in her ear. "You're going to be okay."

When they finally broke apart, she wiped her eyes with her arms. Bloodshot as they were, they were still a brilliant shade of green.

"How far along are you?" he asked when he sensed that she was ready to talk again.

"I... I don't exactly know." she replied shakily.

"Okay. What did Mara say?"

"Nothing. I haven't seen her."

Erick's mouth dropped open in shock. "Annie!"

"What? She'd tell my parents the second she-" her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh gods, you can't tell them."

His eyebrows lowered in concern. "Annie-"

"No! Swear to me, right now! They'll all find out at some point anyway but don't tell anyone! _Please_ , Erick!" she desperately pleaded.

"All right! Shh... I won't. But... what about your parents?"

She averted his gaze to stare at his lap. "I..."

"They have to know, Annie. You can't hide it forever." Erick said softly.

She continued to shake her head. "I... I have some baggy clothes."

"That b-" he dropped his voice. "That baby is going to make him or herself known whether you want them to or not. You literally _cannot_ hide this for nine months. And then when you give birth what are you going to do? Hide a baby in your room from your parents, brother and dragons? Hide a crawling infant? A running toddl-"

"Okay, okay!" Adrianna held up her hands to stop him.

"So you see my point."

"I have caused them enough heartache. Trista, Brandyn, everything, they don't deserve to deal with another crisis like this! They should banish me this time!"

"You really think they would?" Erick asked, helping her wipe tears from her face.

"They should."

He sighed. "Do you _want_ them to?" She didn't respond except to take a large, shuddering breath. "You need some time. I get it. But if you want... I could be there with you. When you tell them."

"I... I don't know what to do. Everything's so confusing... I didn't want this." she sniffed again.

Erick felt a sudden wave of anger at Brandyn. How _dare_ he hurt her! What kind of monster would _do_ something like that? He clenched his jaw and promised himself that if he ever saw that horrible, perverted... _thing_ again, he'd skin him alive with his knife.

"I'm sorry." he heard himself say as he snapped back to reality. "It isn't supposed to be this way." she looked at him in confusion and he felt heat rise to his face. "I-I mean, I don't... haven't... ugh." his friend cracked a smile at the blush he knew must be shining through his face. "I mean it's not supposed to be a terrible thing."

She nodded. "I know what you meant." she straightened herself up a bit. "Thanks. You... I feel better. A little bit."

"Think you can go back to the party?" Erick took her hands and helped her up.

"Will you..." Adrianna gulped and stared down at their clasped hands. "Will you stay with me until it's over?"

"Of course." Erick leaned down and kissed her forehead. "But we should get back before people start to worry."

Adrianna nodded and they turned to walk back to the Great Hall. She held his hand tightly and he knew that she was feeling thankful for the warmth it provided and the assurance it gave her that she had someone who knew her darkest secret but still deeply cared about her. When they got to the back door, she suddenly threw her arms around him and held him close.

"Thank you." she whispered.

Erick felt his insides ignite with a passion that made him feel more conflicted than ever. He dearly wanted to kiss her. The feelings he'd forced down came back up so fast, it felt like they had clobbered him upside the head. And though he reminded his heart that the woman he loved had been victimized in one of the most horrible crimes imaginable, was _pregnant_ as a result, he simply couldn't bring himself to care about that. Not one bit. As far as he was concerned, he had always loved her. And he would always love her. And now, as he held her as tightly as he could without hurting her, he had never been so sure of anything.

* * *

The party had been exceptionally awkward from that point on. Erick didn't let Adrianna out of his sight the whole time, which she had seemed to appreciate. Fortunately, no one thought much of her politely refusing alcohol, which was a bit of a relief. The last thing Erick wanted for her was to have to come up with hasty excuses and look even more suspicious. But he hadn't been given a chance to consider what he had learned.

At last, the party had lulled a bit and Adrianna could finally come up with an excuse to leave. She and Erick said goodbye to everyone and walked into the mostly empty village square. As they walked, their hands clasped as they had so many times before. It was almost instinct now.

They seemed to arrive at the Haddock house far too soon. Erick's thoughts were coming to him at a thousand miles an hour and his emotions were even more conflicting, not to mention confusing. Adrianna stopped in front of her house, staring at her parents' bedroom window.

"You have to tell them." Erick said in a low voice. "They're not going to throw you out. I know they won't."

The girl took a deep breath and shook her head. "I will." she said through the exhale. "Just not now. It's... it's Finn's birthday. Can't take the focus off him."

"It's _your_ birthday too." Erick took her hands and gently turned her so she was facing him. "You'll be okay, Annie. I promise."

Adrianna's mouth turned upward slightly in a tiny smile but she shook her head. "You don't know that."

"Actually I do. No matter what happens, you always get through it. You are the strongest person I know." Erick took a chance and reached up to tuck her flyaway bangs behind her ear. She didn't recoil.

"Not strong enough to stop him." Adrianna averted her eyes and instead focused on her hands, one of which was still clasped tightly in his.

"That wasn't your fault. And if anyone doesn't believe you, they're not worth your time." Erick gestured to the village. "They forgave me for what I did. And they forgave Finn. This wasn't even something you did wrong. What makes you think they won't still love you?"

Adrianna suddenly wrenched her hand from his. "Because what happened brings shame to my family's name. What happened is irreversible. You could repair what you damaged." her hands made her way to her stomach as she spoke. "I can't fix this."

"No but you _can_ make it right." Erick's hands longed for hers but he restrained from reaching out once more. "For your baby, at the very least."

"I... I don't want to talk about this anymore." Adrianna took a deep, slightly shaking breath. She looked like she was going to cry again. "Thank you for walking me home."

"I'm happy to do it." Erick desperately wanted to hug her again but he held back. "Just... don't shut me out. I want to help."

"I should go." Adrianna mumbled. "Thanks again." she added before immediately turning and walking quickly to the house.

Erick watched her enter her home before turning around and setting off for his own. Cliff was still at the party so he knew he would be alone for a while. He walked with his eyes focused on the ground and his hands in his pockets, his shoulders hunched over. His brain couldn't seem to focus on a single thought for more than a few seconds. And now that the party was nearly over, that Adrianna was home safe, he had time to think. Time to process what he had learned.

Adrianna was _pregnant_. The thought flitted through his mind once more and his heart sank farther in his chest. The one girl he never would have expected to end up in this situation was now facing it and he had no idea what to do. He wasn't the baby's father; Brandyn was long gone. He was nothing... nothing except someone on the outside looking in. Someone who, like many men before him, had fallen in love with the wrong woman.

But he wasn't ready to let her go. Should he though? She had been irreversibly damaged.

No, he couldn't leave her. She certainly hadn't left him when he lost his foot.

 _"Is that the best reason to still be her friend?"_ A voice inside his head questioned.

Was it? No. She was his best friend.

 _"Was your best friend."_ The condescending voice corrected. Erick's head lowered at the thought. _"She turned her back on you for that lying rat eating mange bucket. She was completely willing to throw away your friendship just to appease him."_

That was ridiculous and Erick knew it the moment the thought popped into his head. If Brandyn had raped her, of course she was terrified to make him angry. He couldn't blame her for that. He wasn't sure he would have done anything different if the roles were reversed.

" _Even so, y_ _ou should leave her alone. You said she was the strongest person you know."_

"Not strong enough to stop him." The image of Adrianna turning away from him as she spoke flashed in his mind. Her dazzling green eyes didn't sparkle like they used to but instead were hopeless and insecure. She seemed frightened.

She had been there for him when he lost his foot. She had willingly let him cry on her, _bleed_ on her, even after he'd treated her horribly up until them. How could he have gotten through that day without her? No. He had to be there for her now. Especially if she was going to have that baby.

 _The baby_ … Erick wobbled on his front step, allowing the realization to sink in. Annie was going to have a baby. He pushed the door open and walked in side. There was no question about it. He thought as he slumped against the door. An image popped into his head: Annie looking down at her distended stomach with one had gracefully rubbing it. Then ever so slowly, she looked up and caught his gaze. Her eyes were so glossy and red, the color drained from her cheeks except for the evident tear stains. The sight of her tore at his heart.

He turned to his room and sauntered over. With each step he saw her being mistreated by the village. Ignored, mocked, spit upon. He saw her alone with an infant in the back corner of the Great Hall, watching everyone else dance and sing in a celebration, yet she was outcast from society.

" _But doesn't she deserve it?"_ The voice whispered in his ear as Erick opened the door to his room. His head shot up at the question.

For the first time in his life, his head and his heart reached a different conclusion. Adrianna had walked right into it. He'd known what Brandyn was and he'd certainly tried to tell her. She hadn't listened. Was this her punishment for refusing to see how dangerous he was? Erick's logical side agreed with this notion. She'd been stupid and maybe this would teach her a painful but valuable lesson. Yet his heart grieved for her. All the childhood memories of playing with her, picking flowers, sitting by the seaside cliff, her radiant smile and sparkling green eyes full of life and laughter could not be disregarded for one mistake. He suddenly hated himself as he realized he was weighing his dearest friend's good and bad actions on a mental scale that would determine the penalties he would issue to her.

A sudden spurt of rage shot through him, causing him to turn and slam his bedroom door. He glared at the wood with disdain as if it had offended him in some way. His mind raced with all the consequences that _this,_ the baby, would impose on her. However, what troubled him the most, was not knowing what to do for, with, or about her.

"Why?!" He felt the strain in the back of his throat as he yelled simultaneously slamming his fists on the door. Try as he might, he could not stop cool tears from spilling down his front.

For some reason, a memory surfaced, one he hadn't thought about in a very long time. He leaned against the door, allowing it to fill his mind. He had been bored and achy at Mara's and Annie had come to see him...

" _Here," Annie picked up a bowl and spoon on the nightstand. Almost meticulously, she scooped the spoon in the soup and brought it to his lips. "I'm sorry if it doesn't taste so good. I'm not exactly Finn but I figured you needed something to eat." She explained tentatively as he swallowed._

_Erick breathed a laugh. "I lost my foot, not my hands."_

" _Ohh humor me." Annie winked at him. "I've got to practice. Ava's going to be old enough to spoon feed pretty soon and I want to perfect the technique."_

" _If you insist." he obediently opened his mouth and let her place the spoonful of soup inside._ " _It's uh… not bad… What is it?"_

" _I don't really know… it's got carrots, onions, cabbage, chicken… yak broth and some seasonings…" Annie elucidated._

" _But what do you call it? You always made a name for everything."_

" _Uh…" She stared at the bowl of soup, "I don't know. How about... friendship soup?"_

" _Hm... I like it." Erick smiled. "Kind of got a sweet and sour mix. Like our friendship these past couple years."_

_Annie looked calm and relieved as she sat at his bedside, and fed him with a genuine smile. Yet, Erick noticed, the depth in her green eyes and sagging skin below them showed worry and exhaustion. She had lost sleep… because of him?_

_She guided the spoon into his mouth. Somehow, a little of the broth spilled down his chin. "Oh, I'm sorry."_

_She placed the utensil in the bowl and picked up a napkin. Delicately, she wiped his chin. Their eyes caught, green interacting with teal. They stared at each other until Annie cleared her throat and leaned back, recoiling and diverting her gaze away from him._

" _Why-" The question died in his throat when her attention swiftly returned and focused on him. Suddenly he felt like such and idiot for his quandary but his curiosity got the better of him. "Why are you doing this?"_

_She stared at him, completely silent._

" _I've hurt you." he continued. "I betrayed you. I hardly ever spoke to you even when we were living in the same house. Why were you there when all that happened? Why are you taking care of me now?"_

" _Because I never stopped caring." Annie replied with a small frown. "I really tried. I tried to pretend you never meant anything to me and that I would be fine if I just forgot about you. But I couldn't. I guess it's kind of an instinct when you've cared about someone for so long."_

" _Well that's not going to happen again." Erick said, putting his hand on top of hers. "This time around, I'm not letting something stupid like that get in the way."_

_Annie smiled and held up her spoon. "My first act as your reinstated best friend is to make sure you eat all this soup."_

" _And my first act is to take this bowl and eat it myself so that your hands are free." Erick carefully took the bowl from her hands, rather surprised that she didn't protest. "I see you're letting me win already."_

" _You just wait until the next time we're at the library. You will never win at being quiet." Adrianna grinned and Erick stuck his tongue out at her._

_He had missed this. The banter. The pretty green eyes. The presence of the best friend he'd ever had. This time, he was never going back._

Erick felt disgusted with himself when he came back to reality. The answer to his question of whether to stay with her had been with him this whole time. He was foolish to think he could ever live with himself if he ever betrayed her like that again. He felt horrible for ever considering it.

He wiped his face and sniffed. He couldn't understand. Annie, who had done nothing but bend over backwards for others without thinking about herself... she never deserved this. She shouldn't have to deal with it. Brandyn shouldn't have taken advantage of her like that. The thought made his eyes sting with tears again.

"Annie, you're so stupid." he whimpered. "You care about people too much. Why didn't you ever ask for help. We... we all would have helped you."

He was quiet as his hand rested against the door. The physical pain stinging his raw, red hands meant nothing to him. However, his soul ached.

"And look what's happened now." he continued, trying the stem the flow of tears now dripping down onto his tunic. "You got yourself hurt."

With a thud, his head rested against the wooden door. Time slowed as he poured out his heart. Thoughts would come and go as fast as the wind. Everything was a blur. Yet in every instance, he kept thinking about Annie and it only made him more emotional.

"I'm sorry, Annie." he whispered after a long stretch of silence. "I'm so sorry."


	12. Growing Problems

Like many times in his young adult life, Adrianna was the first and last thing on Erick's mind. He thought about her when he woke up and before he fell asleep. He thought about her frequently throughout the day, being his best friend and ultimate crush for so long. He simply couldn't help wondering how she was or what she was doing (though most mornings he figured she was still asleep, blonde hair a tangled mess upon her pillow).

But today was different. His best friend and her current predicament remained at the forefront of his mind most of the night. Sleep evaded him as the situation rolled through his mind again and again. He was great at solving problems, but no simple solutions came. The situation was dire and there seemed to be no upside to the situation.

His childhood best friend, the girl he'd come to care about deeper than he'd ever intended, was pregnant. And that wasn't even the worst part. No, the worst part was that it didn't come out of a stupid mistake or a moment of weakness that was, nonetheless, consensual.

That was what had haunted him as he tossed and turned in bed. The fact that, while he was out doing gods knew what, his precious Annie was being raped by that sick monster. The idea tore at his heart. He desperately wanted to go back, to stop it from happening, to make it so Adrianna never had to suffer like that. Ever since he knew the meaning of the word, Erick could never imagine what would possess a man to take advantage of a woman like that. He would never even _think_ about it, no matter how much he might want the intimacy. Rape truly was one of the most foul, despicable things any human being could do to another.

When he did sleep, it was restless. He tossed and turned, fluffed his pillow and flipped it over, hoping the cooler side would make him fall asleep again. By the time pre-dawn light began to filter through the curtains, he was done lying around. Erick threw off his covers, attached his prosthetic and changed into warm pants and a sweater. He threw a lighter pair of clothes into his satchel lying next to the door, checking to make sure he had everything he needed for the day. The sound of Cliff mumbling in his sleep from across the hall caused him to smile a little. Not even sleep could make the guy stop talking.

The crisp early morning air sent goosebumps up his arms but he hardly noticed. A few early risers nodded to him in greeting; he gave them civil nods, but didn't slow his pace. He didn't feel like being social so early in the morning. Not with his head so full of Adrianna and-

Erick gulped. And her _baby_.

The situation crashed over him once again. He sighed, marching through the forest-line with his eyes on the ground. While the village was quiet, it wouldn't be for much longer. He wanted peace and quiet without interruption until he had to go to work.

Finally, he settled down on a log and got his sketchbook out his satchel. He wasn't as good at drawing as Hiccup but he certainly wasn't too bad. He stared at a Terrible Terror, which wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to him and was sniffing the ground, occasionally digging with its claws as if to find a tasty morsel there. Soon, the blank page of his sketchbook was filled with the crude likeness of the Terror and Erick felt a tiny bit better. Keeping his mind off of Adrianna, even for a little while, eased his mind a bit. By the time he was done, the sun was rising above the treeline; he knew he would have to get to work.

Horst bid him a hearty "good morning" when Erick silently walked into the workroom and got his work tools out. He knew that any second, Cliff would burst in, apologize for being late, and immediately start chattering about whatever he was thinking about. Ordinarily Erick would be happy to listen, happy to throw in his two cents.

Not today.

"Hey bruh!" Cliff burst through the door and threw his tools on the table, allowing them to scatter in all directions. "You won't believe what happened on the way here."

Erick blew his bangs off his forehead, already elbow-deep in saddle work. "I'm sure it's something of great importance."

If Cliff noticed his sarcasm, he didn't comment. "Of course! Every story is compelling and irrevocably important-"

"Boys?"

"Yyyyyyyyesss?" Cliff spun around to face Horst with a massive grin on his face, hands behind his back. He even bounced on his heels in anticipation for their boss' comment.

Erick rolled his eyes at his friend's ridiculousness.

"I'll be making a delivery to the the fishery," Horst said. "Stay busy, I'll be back in less than an hour. Think you can-"

"Hold down the fort, sure thing boss!" Cliff saluted.

Horst raised a critical eyebrow. "You know you must actually accomplish things, right Cliff? Not just tell delusional stories of grandeur?"

Cliff's mouth fell open and Erick had to laugh. His friend's lower lip trembled dangerously. "What are you saying, boss?"

Horst rolled his eyes, pushing off the door jam and exiting the room. "Just get some work done, okay? I'll be back soon."

As soon as the front door closed, Cliff whirled around, hands akimbo. "Well I never- I have _never_ been more insulted in my life!"

Erick sighed. "Cliff..."

"Good thing I have you to tell my story to!"

"Uhh..." Erick rubbed his eyes with his palms and yawned widely. "No offense but can we just... be quiet today?"

Cliff stared at Erick for several seconds, affronted. He looked like he might argue further, but he paused, probably taking in Erick's posture and expression. Finally he lowered himself onto his chair and scooted it forward so he was inches from his friend.

"So what's wrong?" he asked in a voice that was rather abruptly concerned.

"I can't tell you." Erick turned toward his work and picked up a tool, fully intending to finish this saddle and hopefully tune out his rather forceful coworker.

"Yeah you can." Cliff leaned forward against his open palm. "I'm a vault of secrets. I didn't spend the last two years working with you just to endure small talk at the expense of my sanity and my good looks." He tossed his curly hair in mock vanity.

"How would working with... no. Look, Cliff, this is something you can't really-"

"Erick Noah Larson, if there's one thing I know about you-"

"It's my middle name?"

"No. Well yes, but no. Not what I meant." Cliff cut back in, looking annoyed at the interruption. "I was going to say that I happen to know that you don't keep secrets from me. You're my bruh and when something is bugging you as much as this is, I shall not rest until I can conquer your sadness because that is what bruhs-"

"It isn't my secret, Cliff!" Erick interrupted irritably. "So it's not mine to share!"

Cliff was silent for a beat before he spoke again. "When it bothers you this much, it's something you've got to get out of your system." Erick opened his mouth to argue but Cliff swiftly cut him off. "No, look, I'm not being nosy or snooping but you look like someone died, like you did when we first met, and I don't like that look on you. Last time you had it, you..." The boy's eyes flitted to Erick's wrists. "I hate that look."

Erick paused in his work, his eyes resting on his arms. They still bore the scars of his self harm. He had told Cliff about it recently and the boy had been horrified to know that he'd ever gotten that depressed. But Cliff was his room mate, his best friend. Erick knew that he wouldn't rest until he got the secret out of him. He knew he wouldn't tell anyone. Still, he felt like he was betraying his other best friend when he finally turned to face Cliff.

"You can't tell anyone." Erick mumbled, staring Cliff straight in the eye. "Not Taryn, not your parents, not Horst, no one."

"I promise," Cliff said solemnly.

"I mean it, _no one_ can know about it." Erick glanced over his shoulder as if the walls had ears. "This is... this is big and if it gets out-"

"My lips are sealed, Erick."

"Okay." Erick eyed the door before speaking in a voice so low, Cliff had to lean forward to hear it. "Brandyn was a lot... a lot worse than we thought."

"Uh... worse how?"

He hated saying the words. It would make them even more real. "He was hurting Annie. A lot. I don't really know how much but he..." Erick was embarrassed to feel tears sting his eyes but he blinked them down and the urge to cry passed almost as quickly as it came. "Brandyn raped her, Cliff."

The color drained from Cliff's face. All of the laughter and excitement was replaced with abject horror.

"He... raped her? _Our_ Anna?" He pushed a hand deeper into his curls. "Gods..."

"Oh, that's not the end of it." Erick waited for Cliff to look up at him before he continued, his voice even quieter than before. "She's pregnant."

"What?" Cliff yelped, making Erick wince and glance at the door to make sure Horst wasn't about to burst through, even though he was still gone. "Sorry but like... with a _baby_?"

"What else could I possibly have meant?" Erick sighed deeply. "I... I have no idea what I'm supposed to do and I'm the only one who knows. Or I was until about ten seconds ago."

"H-how could he hurt her like that?" Cliff exhaled shakily. "I just... this is the kind of thing that happens to girls far away, not here. Not to _Anna_."

"I know." Erick stared down at his hands, not able to look his friend in the eye anymore. To see the anguish he'd felt these last few hours on yet another face was too much to bear. "I can't really believe it myself. I mean I knew Brandyn was bad news but I always thought it was because I was jealous. I thought all my feelings were misplaced because Hiccup is a sharp guy. Surely he'd see through any treacherous behavior. I thought I was overreacting. But I'd never think he would... gods, I don't know, Cliff. I don't know what I'm doing, I mean, I remember when my sister was pregnant but she had her husband and I was just sort of there."

"Okay." Cliff took a deep breath. "We've got to make sure she knows we're on her side."

"She knows I am."

"Yeah, I'll talk to her then"

Erick stiffened. "Cliff-"

"Bruh, it will be fine. I'll tell her that I forced it out of you exactly how it was. It's not like you came running to me." For once, Cliff had a no-nonsense expression on his face. "I'll take care of it. I just want her to know she can trust me."

The blond gradually felt a stiffness ease out of his shoulders. Having a friend to confide in might be just what he needed all along. "I should have talked to you right away."

"Nah, it's okay," Cliff sighed distractedly. "There's a time for everything. How long have you known?"

"She told me yesterday."

"How long has _she_ known?"

Erick winced. "Not very long..."

"Great." Cliff sighed. "Well she doesn't seem to be showing yet... Well, not that I'd be looking anyway. How far along is she?"

"Honestly, I don't know. She didn't say, if she even knows." Erick picked up his sewing again. "But if she ends up like Mags did, she could be like... skinny one day and huge the next."

Cliff's eyes widened. "That's a thing?"

"Apparently." Erick mused.

"Huh... Women."

Erick snickered. "Yup."

Cliff reached up and slapped his shoulder. "Don't worry. Things will work out."

"I just..." Erick frowned, his heartstrings pulling once again.

"What?"

"Is it wrong of me to say that I hoped that after things blew over with Brandyn that maybe... maybe I could get a shot at dating her?"

Cliff's face morphed into one of barely controlled glee. "Oh my gods, that's so cute."

Erick rolled his eyes "Except it can't happen now."

Cliff's exuberance disappeared as quickly as it had come. "...why not?"

Erick cocked his head. "She's pregnant, Cliff."

"So?"

"I think she's going to have a lot more on her plate figuring out more important things than dating. Like how she's going to tell her family, for instance."

Cliff held up his hands in a T sign. "Hold up. She hasn't told them yet?"

"Don't you think half of the Archipelago would be burned to the ground by now if Hiccup knew?"

"Good point." Cliff chewed his lip pensively. "So... when's-"

"I don't know. She said she'd tell them soon." Erick sighed. "She's going to have to whether she wants to or not."

"Yeah... Well like I said, don't worry yourself sick. Things will work out. Honestly." Cliff jumped out of his seat, nearly toppling half of Erick's work tools. "But enough moping! Can I tell you my story now?"

Erick breathed a small laugh. "All right, I guess you deserve that much."

"Aw thanks bruh, you're a gem!"

Erick made a confused face at the saddle as Cliff launched into his story. But he couldn't help but notice that the sparkle in Cliff's steel gray eyes had dulled slightly. Though he was clearly trying to cheer up his bruh by changing the subject, what Erick had told him and the weight it held hadn't left him, nor was it pushed down. Erick wondered if Cliff, goofy, cheerful Cliff, had lost a bit of his innocence and optimism. And for that, he had yet another, albeit more minor, reason to want to kill Brandyn with his bare hands.

* * *

The second she woke, Adrianna felt sick.

It wasn't a new feeling at all. The smell of bacon sizzling on a pan was enough to make her want to run from the room with a hand over her mouth. It wasn't just the nausea either. Her energy level was so low that a few nights ago, for the first time in her working life, she'd fallen asleep on the couch after putting Ava to bed. Tuffnut and Svala had found it funny and didn't get angry at her for crashing so quickly, but it was around that point that Adrianna began to suspect something was amiss.

Honestly, with all that running through her mind, the most she wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep. Pretend for a few more hours that she wasn't in this predicament. But she really needed to use the outhouse. _Again_.

Throwing a long dressing gown over her pajamas, she marched downstairs, her hair still messy and eyes blurry.

"Morning, sunshine."

Adrianna head shot up and she saw her mother, who was sharpening a knife nearby. Astrid smiled in amusement.

"I know you're not a morning person but you're usually up before noon. You all right?"

Adrianna nodded. She wanted to get outside as quickly as possible. "Fine."

"All right," Astrid stood, putting her knife in its holster on her waist. She smiled softly and attempted to brush her daughter's hair into a more presentable "do" but she promptly gave up with a shrug. Usually Adrianna wouldn't want her mom fussing over her appearance, but she simply didn't have the energy to fight or argue. Besides... she had to _go_.

"You know, Adri," Astrid started. "Things seem to be looking up now. I know the last few weeks have been hard on you since Brandyn left, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you."

Adrianna's heart turned to ice in her chest.

"Your father too. It's not easy going through hard break-ups. I think you've handled it very maturely."

She wished her mom would stop talking. Guilt and regret and a slice of anger bundled in her chest and she couldn't let them show for fear of questions. She fought to keep her face neutral before settling on a small smile.

"Thanks, mom."

Astrid smiled. "See you in a bit?"

"Yup."

"Okay. Have a good day, Adri." Astrid strode across the room and left through the front door.

No sooner had the front door closed than Adrianna turned and bolted to the outhouse. She was beginning to feel like she lived there. It was frustrating that she couldn't seem to control her bladder anymore, but, with a pang of regret, she realized her trouble's were probably only just beginning. After washing her hands in the chilly water next to the back door, she went upstairs to try to change.

Erick was right. There was no way she was going to be able to hide this for nine months. Or rather, eight. Between bouts of nausea that lasted for hours and the constant fatigue, they would definitely catch on well before her stomach started swelling. She couldn't keep up this charade much longer.

She pulled her shirt up in front of the mirror to inspect her stomach. It looked the same as ever, perhaps a bit more bloated than usual, but sometimes her time of the month had that effect on her. She wished it would come. It was always on time, maybe a day late on occasion, but she could always count on it. But with the fatigue, the nausea, and the sore chest, there was no question as to why it hadn't come this month.

Over the last few days, she would try to convince herself that she'd just skipped a month. It had happened before. Maybe her hormones had gone crazy; stress could have that effect sometimes. But now, she wished she hadn't looked in that stupid medical book, wished every single thing she'd been feeling hadn't been listed under the symptoms for early pregnancy.

Regardless of reading the book though, they'd all find out soon enough just how pregnant she was. There was no question about it. This was a _disaster._ Her heart started pounding every time she even thought about having this baby. How could she tell her parents something she was terrified to admit even to herself? It was hard enough telling Erick.

The sound of a knock at the door made her jump and pull her shirt down.

"Yes?" she called through her closed bedroom door.

Her father's muffled voice answered, "Addie, Cliff's here to see you."

The last thing she felt like doing was talking to someone but she couldn't very well tell Cliff to leave when he'd trekked all the way up there on his lunch break.

Adrianna opened her door. "Okay, send him up."

Hiccup nodded and disappeared down the stairs. Adrianna counted to three before she heard Cliff's pounding footsteps. Soon after he appeared in her doorway.

"It is I, your bestest friend in the universe!"

She cracked a smile. "What's up?"

"Well first off," Cliff held out a paper bag with a knowing smile. "Hope you haven't eaten yet."

Adrianna raised an eyebrow and took the bag. At the bottom was a freshly baked sweet roll with glazed sugar drizzled on the top. "Oh my..." She didn't know why, but suddenly her life was a whole lot brighter. "Day made."

Cliff laughed, marching into her bedroom as she pulled the roll out and stuffed it in her mouth. Usually she wouldn't appreciate any boy in her bedroom nor would she ever stuff her face so unladylike in front of any boy, but in both situations it was Cliff. And he brought her a sweet roll and good gods, this had to be the best sweet roll she'd ever had.

She turned toward him, ignoring the glaze covering her lips. "How did you know?"

Cliff shrugged with a triumphant smirk. "You're one of ma besties! I know what you like."

Adrianna hummed happily. "To be honest..." She swallowed and wiped her lips on her sleeve. "This is the best thing I've gotten from anyone in... a while. Thank you."

Her friend grinned widely, clearly happy to have brought a smile to her face. And it was real too. She almost felt like crying; she legitimately hadn't felt this happy in a while.

But it was short-lived when she realized why she was being so emotional about a sweet roll.

Cliff seemed to notice her falling expression. He crept forward, glanced down the hall, presumably to see if her father was out there, before quietly closing the door.

A sliver of trepidation rose in Adrianna's chest, but she tamped it down. Her father was still in the house so what could really happen? Besides, this was _Cliff_. What would he really do? She hated being afraid of her friends. But why was he closing her door and looking at her with mounting concern?

Wait.

"So," Cliff said quietly. "I want you to know that I'm on your side."

She frowned, confused. "What?"

Cliff stared at her before his gray eyes flitted to her stomach and back up to her face.

Adrianna sharply inhaled and stepped back. _Erick._

"He told you?" She whispered. "He _promised-_ "

Cliff held up his hands. "Shh Anna. He looked like someone was dying, I made him tell me what was going on. Hey, calm down or your dad's going to get suspicious."

Adrianna noticed in dismay that tears were brimming her eyes. She huffed and swiped her eyes, staring at the floor. "Doesn't matter, he shouldn't have told you."

Cliff looked at her patiently. "I know that now... Anna, don't be mad at him, I badgered him so much, anyone would have cracked. I never would have guessed that he was going to tell me _that_."

"All the more reason he shouldn't have told you!" Adrianna whispered hoarsely, nearly dropping the other half of her sweet roll.

"I know, I get it." Cliff whispered back. "But at the end of the day you're going to need all the help and support you can get, right? Who better to start with than us, your bestest buddies?"

Adrianna pursed her lips before whispering, "I can't even tell my parents."

"You can and you will." Cliff said patiently. "We'll cross that bridge together. I know you're probably stressed and confused, and you and Erick are a bit... complicated. I'm sure you'd much rather have this talk with a girl. But... I wanted you to know I'm here for you if need to talk. Or if you need more sweet rolls."

Adrianna cracked a smile. Despite her fears and concerns, she couldn't help feeling grateful. But she knew she had to make a decision soon. There were simply too many factors, too many people...

"Thanks, Cliff." she whispered, trying very hard to ignore her burning eyes. "Means a lot that you're here."

"Aww come on, I told you a dozen times already," Cliff walked over and gave her a hug. "You're my Anna-bear."

Adrianna smiled and hugged him back, allowing herself a small moment of comfort with her friend. It wouldn't last though. Her happiness and comfort never did, and especially now she couldn't wait around forever. Somehow she had to put an end to all this drama that was Adrianna Haddock.

* * *

It was rare for all four Haddocks to be able to sit down for a meal together. Usually they ate at the Great Hall or one of them was working late. But today was different. Finn had gone hunting early that morning, shot down a buck and brought it home. When he'd arrived at the house with a large dead animal and strung it up in the back yard to skin and gut it, Adrianna had quickly run back inside to avoid any incidents with her already delicate stomach. At any rate, Finn had slaved over the animal all day and at long last, a roast had been created. It smelled delightful, but Adrianna knew she wouldn't be able to stomach any of it.

"So how was everyone's day?" Astrid asked as they were passing around the food.

"Apparently Vidar cracked a sword in half this morning, but Gobber managed to salvage it for scrap metal. Poor kid thought he'd done something wrong." Finn took a big bite of meat and chewed slowly, apparently savoring the taste.

Hiccup slid the plate of meat closer to Astrid. "Today was full of arguments. Almost nonstop. If Mulch and Bucket weren't bickering with each other about gods know what, Ruff and Tuff were smacking each other around for no reason at all. And Horst dropped a lantern in his dragon pen, but we managed to put the fire out before it spread too far. He's got a bit of rebuilding, but that shouldn't take more than a couple of days." He scooped mashed potatoes onto his plate. "Addie?"

Adrianna shrugged, not meeting anyone's eye. "Nothing to report. Quiet. I read a story to a couple of kids at the library this afternoon but there wasn't much work otherwise."

"Why aren't you eating?" Hiccup peered at her plate, where only a tiny mound of mashed potatoes was piled on the corner.

"I... had dinner before I came here. A sandwich." Adrianna poked at her food with her fork. She hated lying.

"You look a bit green." Astrid put her hand on Adrianna's forehead. "You don't have a fever. Think maybe it's the stomach bug going around?"

Hiccup frowned. "Let's hope not. I really don't want to get behind on work this week."

"As opposed to next week?" Finn asked.

"Eat your meat."

"Okay!" Finn smiled before shoving more food in his mouth. "Okay seriously, I have a gift. Anna, you need to try this."

"I'm not hungry."

"Aw come on, pleeeeease?" Finn lifted a fork filled with meat in front of her face. She felt her stomach churn in an uncomfortably familiar way. She shook her head. "Come on, Ann-"

"I said no, Finn!' Adrianna shouted. Her eyes widened in shock, as did her the others'. She hadn't meant to scream it.

"Ooookay then," Finn slowly retracted his fork. "More for me then?"

Adrianna suddenly felt hot. Her stomach started to churn again and she quickly stood, marching to the back of the house.

"Addie?"

She barely made it outside before throwing up on the grass. She whimpered pitifully, bending far over and trying to breathe slowly. Someone pulled her hair away from her face and held a hand on her back; she noticed her mother's boots beside her bare feet.

"Hiccup, get her some water."

"N-no, I-I'm okay."

"No, you're not. It's definitely the bug." Astrid felt her forehead. "You're definitely clammy. Let's just go to bed."

"Mkay..." Adrianna turned back toward the house, noticing her father standing as far away from her as he could. Usually this wouldn't happen, he'd always been there for her when she wasn't feeling well. But apparently he _really_ didn't want to be anywhere near her "sickness".

This only made her feel worse. They all thought she was sick, that it was contagious. This was most definitely _not_ contagious. The thought made her want to cry.

She marched up the stairs with her head low, ignoring her mom's pounding footsteps behind her and Finn's whining about putting her fork right in front of her face before up-chucking. She felt a small amount of satisfaction when Hiccup told him to shut up and eat his meat for the second time.

Astrid stood in the doorway with concern as she slowly moved through the room, gathering comfortable pajamas and dragging her blankets aside. "I'm okay, mom. I"ll be better tomorrow."

Her mother looked unsure. "Are you sure?"

"Yup."

"All right. I'll bring you some water in a bit."

"'kay."

Astrid closed the door to give her privacy. When her footsteps retreated down the stairs, Adrianna pushed her hands through her hair and allowed a few tears to fall down her face. How was she ever going to make it through this? Her parents had obviously had children before; they'd eventually figure out that her sickness was not a bug. It was morning sickness. Soon weight gain and cravings and more crying spells and all manners of hormonal imbalances would be added to the mix. They'd figure it out long before she'd get up the gall to tell them what had happened to her, why Brandyn had really left, and why she was falling apart day by day.

For as long as she could remember, she'd caused her family a lot of problems. There was the sweet time in her life when her Poppy was still alive before her innocence had been snatched away. Those were the good times, when they could be a happy four-some, before Trista, Dagur, Finn's enslavement and the divorce, Benen's unexpected death and Erick's accident. So many things had happened in her short seventeen years of life. It was a wonder her parents hadn't keeled over yet.

Not this too. She couldn't tell them the truth. She couldn't honestly expect anything good to come of it. She knew her family loved her, but when they found out what she was carrying inside her out of wedlock, they'd be at the end of their rope. The entire village, no... the entire Archipelago would mock her parents for their lousy job at parenting when it was _her_ mistake in the first place. They didn't deserve any criticism for her problems! Just that morning her mother had talked about how proud they were of her. Proud of what? She'd never done anything worthy of their pride in her life! And with this fiasco, she was throwing everything they'd ever done for her in their faces.

And then there was Finn, who'd been working his tail off the last year and half to get back into the good graces of the village. Things were really starting to pay off for him! And now she was going to throw it in his face by revealing all her secrets and expose him to their entire society's gossip and criticisms? He didn't deserve that. He'd had enough of that in his life and he was honestly lucky that very few people knew about his former enslavement. He didn't need her shameful legacy following him around for the rest of his life. He was meant to do great things.

No. She couldn't do this anymore. She didn't deserve to live under their roof anymore. She didn't deserve the title of Haddock. It was a great name, passed on through the generations of great men and women, one of whom was her very own father who'd already done so many great things by the time he was seventeen! And this was to be his legacy? Finn had come back from his mistakes. But she couldn't. Not with a baby on her hip. She'd forever be the disappointment, the screw-up, the black cloud hanging over her family's head.

She had to protect them. She had to make her own decisions now, for herself, for her child that terrified her more than anything, for her friends who'd be mocked and scourged for being associated with her so closely... for her family, who'd taken the brunt of her entire life's drama and struggles. They all deserved better. And better was a life without her in it.

Quickly, Adrianna wiped her eyes, changed clothes and burrowed under the covers. There she began to plot her great escape. Long after Astrid had brought her a glass of water and her family turned in for the night, Adrianna lay wide awake staring at the stars outside, wondering if they might be her ceiling from now on.


	13. Absence

Clanging away at the anvil, Finn didn't expect today to be any different than any other day. The trio of blacksmiths, Gobber, Vidar Jorgenson and himself, had kept busy most of the morning and early afternoon with sharpening weapons and tools. Various customers had stopped by to drop off their wares and chat for a while, asking Vidar about his family, Finn about training and giving Zap an affectionate pat on the head, and talking to Gobber about the weather.

Finn snickered when Gobber made a comment about the upcoming storms threatening to load his skivvies. Vidar shuddered in disgust, giving Finn a short sense of nostalgia. It wasn't long ago since he himself had been an apprentice, learning a lot more about Gobber than he ever felt necessary.

Times were tough back then. Finn frowned, forcing the grim thoughts out of his mind and clanging on the anvil once more. He inspected the molten metal before plunging it into a barrel of water, deeming it acceptable.

The Berkian heir sighed loudly, swiping an arm against his forehead. "Gods, it's so hot today."

"Storm's brewin'," Gobber said, hauling a box of dull weapons across the forge. "I wager Thor'll be wagin' war with Jotuns tonight."

Vidar perked up from his sharpening stone. "Jotuns from Jotenheim?"

"Aye laddie, the tales I could tell you-"

Quick, uneven footsteps sounded from the doorway before Finn's father pushed his way in, brow furrowed as he scanned the forge. Hiccup seemed concerned as he ignored the three other males in the room.

Finn pulled the cooled weapon out of the barrel. "Looking for something?"

"Is your sister here?"

The redhead raised a brow in confusion before replying, "Yeah, she's in the back."

Confusingly, relief split across his father's face. "Really?"

"No." Finn turned away, snickering. "Dad, this is Anna we're talking about, right? When does she ever come to the forge, much less hang out inside it?"

"Have you seen her at all today?"

"Um..." Finn frowned, pausing in his work. "No, I haven't actually. Why?" He fiddled with the metalworking for a minute before turning back to his dad. Hiccup stood in the doorway, hands on his hips, worrying his lip. Finn stopped messing with the parts; a silent Hiccup was never a good thing. "Dad?"

Hiccup faced them again. "Nobody's seen her all day. She was supposed to be somewhere at ten, but they said she was sick... But she's not at home, or with Erick or Cliff..." He tapered off, worry working its way into his voice.

Finn tried to rid his voice of impatience when he said, "I'm sure she's just out flying. Have you seen Lily?"

"No..."

"Well then, there ya go!"

"She didn't take her new flight suit."

"So?" Finn shrugged. "That doesn't mean she can't fly without it."

"Yeah, but-" Hiccup sighed. He held up his hands. "You're right! You're right. It's nothing. She'll show up here somewhere and all of this will be for naught." He turned toward the door.

"Dad?"

Hiccup turned back, eyebrows raised. "Hm?"

"Breathe."

"Breathe, yes, thank you for that." Hiccup tried for a sarcastic smile. "I'll try to keep that at the top of my list of things to remember to do today."

Finn snorted as his dad walked out. Zap cooed at him curiously before snuffling along the ground. The teenager wondered at the situation, why his dad was so worried. Adrianna was known to disappear for hours at a time. Sometimes she'd be reading in a meadow with Lily at her side; sometimes she'd be sitting at the highest watchtower gazing at the ocean. The library, the beach, her room, hers and Erick's special fairyland they used to hang out at ages ago, you name it. Point being, his twin sister had tons of hiding places. Not having a lot of friends when she was younger meant lots of sanctuaries and favorite places. She'd pop up somewhere soon.

* * *

When Finn got off work at five and flew Zap to the Great Hall for dinner, he'd long forgotten about his father's worry. Storm clouds brewed along the horizon, causing the already humid air to crackle with electricity. The wind smelled of ocean and rain. Tired from a long day's work, he was ready to sit down to a large bowl of stew and ale (gods, he was old enough to drink ale now! Legally!) and hang out with his friends until it was time to hit the hay.

However, the second he opened the Great Hall doors, he was bombarded by Cliff and Erick.

"Bruh," Cliff said, grabbing his shirt lapels and giving him a hearty shake. "Have you seen Anna-bear?"

Finn shook his friend's hands off and straightened his shirt. "Did you guys check the library?"

"Yes."

"The watchtower?"

"Yes."

"Both of them?"

"Yes!" Cliff exclaimed. Erick stood beside him, teal eyes taking in every detail of the room with a single glance. "We checked the woods, twice, we checked every street and side street, every barn-"

"Basically," Erick interrupted. "We've checked everywhere and we can't find her."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Guys, you're freaking out over nothing. She's probably-"

"Where, Finn?" Erick asked, gaze smoldering. "We've been searching for three hours. Your parents have been looking for six."

Reality kicked in at those words. Finn frowned. "What?"

"You didn't see her this morning?" Erick asked.

"No, I'm always out the door before she is." Finn wracked his brain, wondering if he was forgetting something. Realization dawned on him. "Wait, where are my parents?"

The boys turned a glance toward the head table where Hiccup and Astrid were surrounded by most of the council.

"Anybody you don't see is out looking for her."

Finn resisted the urge to sigh. "Look, I get it, nobody has seen her all day. And... based on everything that's happened to us kids, _especially_ Anna... I get it. My parents are easily worried. But what if she really just took a long flight on Lily and hasn't come back yet?"

Erick opened his mouth to argue, but Finn cut him off.

"No, what if that's all this is? She was jumping off Lily from less than a thousand feet in the air just a few days ago!"

Cliff shook his head, bouncing from foot to foot. "I don't know bruh... this isn't like Anna to be gone _this_ long."

Finn frowned. "She's still coping from the breakup. Granted, not the best way to cope but... give her a break."

"No, we can't afford to give her a break." Erick insisted. "This is serious."

"Why?" Finn asked, losing patience. "What could _possibly_ happen?"

Cliff turned a nervous look at Erick, who stared at Finn unblinkingly. The longer the silence, the more Finn got the feeling he was missing something.

Unfortunately, his parents broke the spell before he could ask any further questions. Hiccup and Astrid marched toward the door, Snotlout and Heather on their heels. Finn overheard Snotlout telling them not to worry, they'd keep looking. He left his friends and trotted after his parents before they could take off on their dragons.

"Hey!"

Hiccup looked down at him in agitation. "You're _sure_ you haven't seen Addie?"

"No! If I had I would have told you earlier." Finn said, the wind whipping his hair against his scalp. Instinctively, he raised a hand to the right side of his face to cover the slave mark, in case it was visible. "What do you want me to do?"

Astrid patted Stormfly's flank when lightning crackled across the sky. "Come home with us. Boys, you too."

Finn noticed Erick and Cliff standing behind him. They nodded and trotted to Charger and Edna, who were standing nearby. Zap sniffed the air in excitement, the folds of her inner wings crackling.

"No storm flights right now, missy," Finn said, hopping into his saddle and following his parents to their house. The winds buffeted the dragons; even Toothless seemed to be struggling. It took longer than usual, but eventually they made it to the Haddock house. Hiccup shoved the door open and ushered everyone inside.

"Alright, I need you boys to remember the last time you talked to her." Hiccup announced as he marched up the stairs and into Adrianna's room. Finn followed his mom, knowing his friends were right behind him.

Erick and Cliff relayed the information as the three Haddocks picked apart Adrianna's room. Finn wasn't sure if they'd even find anything. Spying her journal, he internally debated reading it. A few years ago he'd kill to read her journal so he could tease her about all the stupid things she wrote about. He nearly learned his lesson the hard way when she almost killed _him_.

"-wasn't feeling well so she wanted to go home early."

"She hasn't been feeling well a lot lately." Hiccup mused aloud as he rummaged through a desk drawer.

Astrid pulled apart the bed and paused when a single sheet of paper fluttered on the sheets. "Hiccup."

The boys waited with bated breath as the parents snatched up the note and read it. And read it. And read it again. Their confused expressions didn't offer any explanation.

Finn carefully stepped forward and reached out to take the note. Astrid let it slip from her fingers. Finn felt the guys lean over his shoulders to read it:

_First off, I want to say I'm sorry for everything. I've caused you a lot of problems and drama and I can't bother you with it anymore. I'm leaving Berk. Don't panic, I have Lily with me. Everything will be okay. Don't come looking for me; by the time you find this message, I'll be long gone. I'm doing this for you. I can't ruin your lives for another day. Focus on Finn. He's a lot more deserving of your attention than me. I love you all. Goodbye.  
_ _~Adrianna_

Finn lowered the paper in shock. Erick took the page, careful not to crinkle any edges. He stared at his parents, trying to gauge their reactions, decipher their thoughts. Astrid looked frustrated, confused; Hiccup looked... distraught, confused. Finn was sure his face looked the exact same.

For a long while, nobody spoke.

Then, Hiccup asked: "Did any of you know about this?"

All three boys shook their heads firmly. At least, Finn assumed so. He could practically hear Cliff's mane of curls waving back and forth with the ferocity of his head shake. Erick's hair wasn't quite so thick.

The chief scowled, his fingers going white against his waist. "This... this doesn't make any _sense_!"

"No. It doesn't." Astrid said stiffly.

"Why would she just... take off?" Hiccup asked no one in particular. "'Doing this for us?' What does that mean?"

Finn wracked his brain for answers. He knew Haddocks to be stubborn individuals who made rash decisions when emotions ran high. He himself had made MANY a stupid decision based off pent up emotion. His sister had been acting weird the last few days and she'd been sick the night before. Something wasn't adding up here.

"Brandyn." Hiccup said suddenly. "Did she go after Brandyn?"

"No." Erick replied, quickly shutting down the notion. "He's the last person she'd go to."

"Then where would she go?"

"And why would she leave?"

Erick shook his head. "I don't know."

Finn watched his father face Erick fully, doubt written all over his face. "I don't believe you."

The blonde's eyebrows rose a centimeter.

"Because if you're so sure that she wouldn't go to Brandyn, then you must know where she did go."

Erick shook his head vehemently. "No, I don't know where she went."

"Then why did she leave?"

Finn had never known Erick to hide things. He was honest and kind and calm, and in the end he'd been the one to turn in Finn for the gang fiasco. Watching his friend stare Hiccup down in this moment of crisis, clearly withholding information about his missing twin, made him angry.

"Would you stop playing around!" Finn growled. "Say something!"

"Tell me where my daughter is!" Hiccup insisted.

"I don't _know_!"

"You know something!" Hiccup yelled back. "Whatever it is you're hiding, you're not protecting her! There is a HUGE storm coming and I don't know where she is after an entire day of searching, and _you_ are not going to be the person keeping her from me! She could be hurt or worse in a storm like this!"

Astrid raised a placating hand to her husband, though the glare she directed at Erick could melt the flesh off a frost giant. Finn suspected she was merely keeping his father from becoming completely unglued.

"Erick, it is imperative that you tell us what you know _right_ now. We don't have any more time to waste."

Erick's jaw tightened. His arms were crossed tightly against his chest. He seemed to be debating whether or not to tell them something, which only drove Finn crazier. He was about to slap him when Cliff broke the silence.

"Erick. Tell them."

The Haddocks looked at him in shock and confusion.

"Tell us what exactly?" Astrid demanded.

Erick seemed to weigh his words carefully, calculating. "I don't know where she went. But I know she would never go looking for Brandyn."

Hiccup crossed his arms. "How do you know that?"

"Because she's the one who chased him off."

Finn frowned. Adrianna, his small, thin, quiet sister, chased off a guy just as big and strong as himself?

"What reason did she have to chase him off?" Astrid asked.

"Because he's dangerous."

"Dangerous how?"

Hiccup waved a hand impatiently. "We're getting off track. I don't care about Brandyn, I want to know where my daughter is!"

"I don't know!" Erick shouted. "If I knew I would have told you already!"

"Then why did she leave!" Finn demanded.

"Because she's-" Erick stopped, whatever he was about to say frozen in his mouth.

"Shes. What." Hiccup asked stiffly.

Erick shared a short glance with Cliff. He inhaled and looked back at Hiccup. "She's pregnant."

Silence overtook the bedroom. Finn gaped at his friend, the words echoing through his mind over and over again. The words simply wouldn't compute with his missing sister.

His parents stood rigidly in their places, incredulous expressions on their faces. Erick and Cliff stood in the center of the room, the latter fidgeting nervously as if waiting for an explosion. Finn looked at his dad when he heard his prosthetic squeak.

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

Erick's voice was level and quiet. "Of course not."

"Then of all the stupid things to make up, why-"

"I'm not making this up, Hiccup."

"It's true, Chief." Cliff said, his voice cracking. He flinched when Hiccup glared back at him.

Finn's blood ran cold. The fact that goofy, dorky Cliff had the guts to say something so serious, so _real_...

A soft exhale and he heard his father sneer, "I don't believe you."

Erick's shoulders dipped. "Hiccup-"

"I am going to ask you one more time or things are about to get _very_ ugly." Hiccup said in a low voice. "Where did she go."

Erick sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead.

"Chief, she didn't tell either of us she was leaving!" Cliff insisted.

"But you expect me to believe that she trusted you with _that_!" Hiccup shouted, making Cliff jerk back.

Erick's head shot up. "Yes! She did!"

Hiccup's face turned a shade of red that suddenly reminded Finn of very dark times in the Haddock household.

"Read the note again!" Erick snatched the note from the bed and held it up. "Insert the context, it makes _sense_!"

Astrid shook her head angrily. "Boys, this is ridiculous!"

"That's not even half of it."

"Enlighten me." Hiccup snapped.

"I said Brandyn was dangerous for a reason."

Erick's words once again washed over Finn and he felt like he couldn't understand what was happening. There was simply too much assumption and speculation being thrown around. And they still didn't know where his sister was. But the implication of Erick's words about Brandyn made him pause.

"What did he do to her?" Hiccup asked Erick stiffly. Erick pursed his lips, but clearly Hiccup had no patience for more dramatic pauses. "What did he DO to her!"

"Was he hurting her?" Finn blurted.

Erick frowned and opened his mouth, but Finn cut him off.

"If you say no, I will punch your teeth out. I saw the bruises!"

His parents whirled on him. " _Bruises_?" Astrid demanded.

"When the Hel was this!" Hiccup asked.

"Just on her arm! And it was the day he left, after their fight!" Finn pointed at Erick, the shiner on his face still visible. "I didn't notice anything before that!"

Astrid huffed. "Finn, why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I thought you'd freak out! I didn't have any proof that it was actually from him and the he was gone!"

"You _always_ say something when you have suspicions of abuse! No exceptions!" Hiccup said, directing his lecture all three teenagers. "Even if it's just suspicion! And for all we know it wasn't just-" He stopped, his eyes landing on the note, face going slack as realization dawned on him.

"It wasn't just physical abuse, if that's what you're thinking." Erick said softly.

Cliff stepped back toward the group. "Enough beating around the bush."

Hiccup shook his head, as if he knew where this was going. Finn looked between them in confusion, trying to make the connections.

"Brandyn raped her."

Finn recoiled at the word tumbling from Cliff's mouth so easily. He stared at his parents, shocked and afraid.

Astrid stood with shaking fists. "Are you _sure_?"

Erick nodded sadly. "Yes."

"When did you find out?" Astrid demanded. "Is this why you fought him in the Great Hall?

"No, no," Erick shook his head. "She didn't tell me until a few days ago. I fought Brandyn in the Great Hall because I..."

"Because _why_?" Astrid enforced.

Erick seemed to be losing his cool when his calm expression finally melted away into shame. "Because I... suspected... something. And I thought he was the one who hurt Cliff."

Loud footsteps clashed in the silence and it wasn't until Hiccup pushed past Finn that he realized what was happening. And even then Finn barely registered his father shoving Erick into the back wall.

"Why didn't you SAY anything!" Hiccup shouted. "BOTH of you!"

Cliff jerked back, genuinely frightened.

Erick gulped. "Cliff wasn't supposed to find out."

Finn finally found his voice, lacing it with sarcasm. "Neither were we, apparently. Not that that's important."

"So let me get this straight," Astrid said, her voice calm yet deadly. "You two knew something about my daughter that is a literal matter of life and death, and you did nothing? Said nothing?"

The Larson boy struggled to maintain eye contact. "She... made me promise."

Finn felt his stomach twist in disgust and anger.

"This isn't exactly a childhood crush kind of secret, Erick!"

"She promised she'd tell you guys!" Erick tried to explain.

Hiccup threw up his hands. "Well guess what! She _didn't_! Instead, she took off and is gods know where putting her life in danger, and apparently a _baby's_ life too! Ever consider that in your grandiose schemes of keeping secrets?"

"Even if she didn't leave," Astrid reasoned. "How long did you expect this to stay a secret?"

Erick stuck out a hand. "That's what I told her!"

"Why did she even leave!" Hiccup asked for the hundredth time.

"I... I don't know." Erick lamented. "She might have said something about shaming the family..."

Hiccup sighed, stepping away from the teenager. "Oh my gods."

"I told her she didn't do anything wrong."

"Erick, let's just establish right now that you are a terrible friend and your word doesn't mean _anything."_ Hiccup snapped. "Because for this wise advice you gave her, it didn't make one heck of a difference did it?"

Finn watched Erick's jaw tighten. Nobody liked to hear that his word was meaningless.

"I would have told you soon if she didn't." Erick said firmly. "I know it would have been for her own good if I broke a promise. But I didn't know she was planning to run off."

Finn shook his head. "You're such an idiot."

Erick scowled at him but chose to say nothing.

The weight of the situation seemed to press on Finn once again. His sister was... pregnant? She'd been... no, he couldn't even think the word. But he'd worked with that selfish pig at the forge every day and hadn't known? And now she was off gallivanting through the Archipelago in the middle of huge storm to... what?

"What exactly is she trying to do?" Finn asked.

Astrid shook her head. "Run."

Hiccup pushed his hands through his hair. "I should have known. This sort of thing happens to someone in your own home, you have to be able to see it. What was I thinking, how did I not notice?"

"She did her hardest to hide it."

"Yes, but now it's... with everything that's happened to her recently, it's... it's obvious." Astrid said.

Finn swallowed. "You mean the throwing up, sleeping later-"

"All of it. Those are symptoms of early..."

_Pregnancy._

The floorboards creaked under Cliff's feet. Finn stared at the floor, thinking through all his memories. All the things he'd done with Adrianna when they were little, all their little adventures. Growing up hadn't been easy. Both of them had almost been forced to grow up faster than the average child, and that made them wiser than most of their friends. Or at least, that's what he'd assumed. He didn't think on it proudly; he'd made many stupid decisions that had cost him dearly, most of which was his freedom. Why hadn't his sister learned from his mistakes, that taking off on a solo adventure is not as appealing or smart as it seems?

Erick broke the silence. "I'm sorry."

Hiccup looked at him sharply. "Spare me. I don't want to hear it." Then he met Finn's gaze. "Saddle up. Zap is the only one who can track in a storm like this."

* * *

Taking the stairs four at a time, Finn adjusted his new flight suit for what felt like the eighth time and ran out the door. He didn't have time to fidget with his new get-up, but he'd never worn this much tight leather at once before. Any other day he'd have time to adjust and gripe, but they were in a rush. His father wanted to leave in the next fifteen minutes. He still had to saddle Zap and pack his saddlebags. The rain had officially started, so flying in regular clothes wouldn't be a good idea. He didn't need to catch pneumonia when he had a flight suit _made_ for this kind of weather. Besides, he didn't know how long they'd be out flying. He had to be prepared, and fast.

Zap was already prancing in the rain, both excited to fly in the storm and anxious to find her other favorite human. Getting her to hold still was a job in and of itself, but Finn finally got his dragon saddled. He managed to throw extra supplies and food in his bags; once he grabbed his favorite dagger and strapped his axe to his shoulder holster, he was ready. He felt a smidge of pity that he couldn't indulge his vanity for just a minute and inspect himself in the mirror. He wondered what he looked like with all the getup on.

Zap zipped into the square with an excited roar. Finn noted his parents talking to the councilmen in the center; his father seemed to be delegating jobs for the time they'd be gone. He noticed Snotlout, Fishlegs, Gustav and Horst on their dragons with saddlebags packed. If his father was willing to bring the big guns, then Finn knew this could get messy should they find his sister on some island in less than hospitable conditions.

Finn slipped off his saddle and stood in the back of the group, listening for anything helpful. Nothing helpful seemed to apply to him that he didn't already know until someone announced that a single ship was missing from the harbor. Hiccup deduced that she must have taken a large enough ship to hold Lily. A few people questioned why she wouldn't just fly, as steering a ship alone through a gale would be even more dangerous than flying, but his parents dodged their reasoning and questions for her sake. Apparently they didn't want news of the pregnancy getting out just yet.

Frustrated, he looked down and fiddled with the leather on his chest again, wondering if it was lopsided.

A shoulder knocked into his and he reeled back. "Hey, watch it man" Then he blinked at Inga in surprise.

Stopping in her tracks, Inga scowled. "I am no man."

"Well spoken," Finn amended. "Sorry. Spoke before I thought." When she didn't quip, he looked back at her questioningly. Inga seemed to be in a trance as she stared at him. Finn fidgeted uncomfortably. "What?"

Her blue eyes shot up to his and, surprisingly, she blushed. "N-nothing," She stammered. "Just... the suit suits you."

Finn snorted. "I think there was a compliment in there somewhere."

"Except," Inga stepped forward and unbuckled one of the shoulder straps, adjusting the length. So apparently it _was_ lopsided. Great. Now he felt ridiculous and, okay, Inga was unstrapping his armor and straightening the leather. This wasn't awkward at all, was it? Or weird? Was it weird that she was fixing his armor? Why did this feel strangely intimate? Any other girl he talked to would just laugh at his lopsidedness. But Inga went out of the way to actually _fix_ it? Was he overthinking things?

"There." Inga nodded resolutely. "Now you're perfect."

Finn blanked. A smile tugged at his lips for some reason. He didn't know what to say and really he should be frustrated at this entire situation. He shouldn't even have to be leaving Berk right now; his family was falling apart at the seams _again_ , and he was standing in the rain with Inga not quite flirting but almost flirting and feeling quite giddy about it.

Finally, he thought of a response. "What's a little lopsided leather?"

Inga smirked. "Expectations are high, Fearless Finn. You wouldn't want to disappoint anyone with frumpy clothes now, would you?"

"I don't know. The only one who seems to care right now is you."

She hid a smile and looked away. Finn breathed a laugh, unsure what to say. His eyes fell back on the crowd, his good mood wavering. Inga seemed to notice.

"So what's going on exactly?"

Finn frowned. "I can't say right now. Maybe... maybe I can tell you when we get back. I just... a lot of stuff came up."

Inga nodded understandingly. She still looked confused and concerned, but she didn't press it. "Just... be safe out there. Don't do anything stupid."

"Who me?"

Inga rolled her eyes. "Stupid."

"Beauty."

"Finn."

"Okay, okay," He held up his hands in mock surrender. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"I brought my dad his saddlebag. He's been out all day looking for Adrianna so he didn't have time to eat, let alone pack a bag."

"Oh. That was nice of you."

Inga shrugged. "To be honest my mom asked me to do it, but I was happy to."

"Finn!"

He spun around at his father's hard voice. Hiccup gave him a once-over, a flicker of relief in his eyes when he noticed the flight suit. "Run into the forge and get my sword."

"Got it." Finn trotted off, but not before turning back to Inga. "Hey, thanks! I'll um... talk to you when I get back, I guess."

Inga genuinely smiled. "I look forward to it."

They parted ways, Inga going back to her house and Finn running into the forge. He shook his hair around, flinging droplets everywhere. "Sword, sword, sword... Ah!" He saw his father's sword across the room on a work table and bounded forward. He heard uneven footsteps in the doorway as he picked it up, assuming the new arrival was his dad.

"Got it right here, d-" Finn froze when he turned and saw Erick standing in the doorway, blond hair plastered against his forehead and wavier than usual with the humidity. The Haddock heir scowled. "What do _you_ want?"

"Finn-"

He marched toward the door. "I don't have time for this, Erick."

"I haven't even said anything yet."

"Haven't you said enough already?" Finn whirled on him. "My sister is _pregnant_ and missing and it's all your fault!"

Erick stepped back. "How is it my fault?"

"If you hadn't intervened in their relationship-"

"I didn't!" Erick exclaimed.

"You kissed her first!" Finn shouted. "Don't act like you're the innocent party in all of this. The best thing for her would have been for you to just back off. Tell someone what happened and back off."

"Because just backing off has always turned out well for her." Erick said sardonically.

Since the accident with Erick's leg, Finn had never wanted to hurt his friend more than in this moment. "You kept this from all of us! You knew and you said nothing!"

"I wanted to tell you! I did! I never thought this would happen!"

"And then you roped Cliff into it! You made him keep your little secret, all safe and sound before she decided to... take off!"

Finn honestly hadn't felt this angry years. Since the gang and Erick's accident and the last time _he_ ran away, he'd worked hard to be calm in hard situations. He didn't want to be an angry, bitter person for the rest of his life because he didn't know how to handle situations. But this anger he couldn't control.

Erick shook his head, damp ends of his hair shaking at his temples. "I did not come in here to argue with you, okay? You guys can all hate me for the rest of your days if you want. But I have never put anything higher on my list of importance than your sister. She is the only thing I care about at this point."

"Right. I'm sure the baby has nothing to do with it."

Erick frowned in shock. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you, in all your compassion and wisdom, have already concocted this grandiose master plan to solve all of these problems when we bring her back, because you're so sure that we can clean up the mess that you started."

"I never started all of this!" Erick cried.

"Has it occurred to you that this is my family, we are talking about? My sister?" Finn lifted his dad's sword, still sheathed, into Erick's face. "My dad told me to get his weapons. My dad _never_ raises a finger against another person, let alone a _weapon_. I hope you're prepared for what he might do to _anybody_ that lays a finger on her out there. Because there might be some bloodshed. Or heck, what he's going to do to you and Cliff if we find her dead body somewhere. I hope you're a fast runner because there won't be a hiding place good enough for you. And just to think that, hey, _you_ could have prevented all of this by just pulling my parents aside and saying, 'hey, I have to tell you something'. How simple that could have been! But you couldn't do that, could you? You had to be Mr. Goody-Two-Boots and keep your little pinkie promise!"

Erick stood with arms crossed through Finn's entire rant with a stoic expression. The calm demeanor made Finn want to pitch another fit, but he realized his father would be growing impatient when he noticed Finn's absence.

"Just bring her back." Erick finally said.

"Assuming we can even find her. Because from the looks of the note, she doesn't want to be found. We'd have a hard enough time without a storm." Thunder accentuated his comment like a hammer driving a nail into wood. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to find my sister." Finn shoved passed Erick to the door.

He didn't look back. Finn marched into the rain, which had begun to fall more ferociously than when he'd spoken to Inga. All the lightheartedness from their conversation had left him, replaced by anger and fear and frustration. He didn't know where or when or even if they'd find his small sister. But if he knew anything, it was that his parents would never stop looking. If that meant searching every village through the Archipelago, they'd do it. They'd gone through so much for both of their kids; he knew this to be true on so many levels. He knew what it was like to run in fear from his problems. He'd run away from his parents before, looking to save them from the embarrassment, the shame, the burden of his mistakes.

But his parents had never given up on him even with those mistakes hanging over their heads like rain clouds. So he knew, without a doubt, that his parents would seek out their lost daughter with everything they had, not only because they loved her, but also because she was innocent. She'd done nothing wrong except lie and hide the truth from them. She'd made it worse by running away. One way or another, they would find her. They were stubborn Haddocks after all.

* * *

Adrianna was honestly surprised she'd made it this far. A few fibs here and there, people would get confused about where she was when she didn't show. People would tell her parents she was to be somewhere at one time, others would say a different place at a different time. The fact that she was punctual in her arrangements made her hard to forget; people would notice when she didn't arrive on time. But the more they scratched their heads in confusion gave her more time to get away.

She knew the danger in flying; she didn't want to risk the baby's life. She'd tried to think of some way off the island other than Lily. The only other way was by boat. Adrianna didn't know if she could honestly sneak a boat out of the harbor without getting caught, but upon closer inspection there was only one guard, and he was fast asleep in his chair. She knew she'd only have a few minutes, so with the help of Lily, they'd sneaked onto the smallest ship they could find that could still hold Lily comfortably. Just because she couldn't fly didn't mean she would leave her dragon behind. She needed some protection out there.

It took some time and lots of fearful glances behind them to make sure they weren't being followed, but eventually Berk was a tiny dot on the horizon. She'd packed all the necessary provisions: clothes, food, an emergency kit with cloths and a paste concoction they used for cuts and scrapes. She figured this adventure would come with a few booboos now and then.

Lily helped her pull the ropes taught for the sails. They were making decent time, but Adrianna knew once her parents found her note, they'd come searching anyway. Toothless and Stormfly, heck even Zap, could outdistance most dragons in a race. She needed to have at least six hours on them in order to really disappear.

Adrianna steered the ship, looking down at her map again. If her calculations were accurate, she would arrive at Bog Burglar Island by tonight. She knew Camicazi to be very open-minded to women, especially young girls, who were in trouble and in need of a place to stay. She'd spend the remainder of the next nine months with her, if Camicazi allowed it. She planned to send a message to her parents at some point telling them where she'd settled. She hoped they'd understand that this is what she had to do, for them, for herself, for her brother... for her child. She couldn't make them solve this problem for her. She had to take care of it herself, alone. The only thing she needed was a safe haven.

Lily exhaled a puff of smoke from her nose. Adriana wrinkled her nose and pushed her dragon's snout away from her shoulder, scratching under her chin. "We'll be there tonight, Lily. Don't worry."

Her Monstrous Nightmare huffed unsurely. She turned a look back toward Berk, which had long since disappeared from the horizon. It was weird, being unable to see her home. Guilt ripped through her chest once again, but Adrianna faced forward stubbornly. There was no turning back now. She _had_ to do this. If she failed at this... well, then she really was a disgrace.

Finn had gone on two crazy escapades in their seventeen years of life and while he'd made it back both times a little worse for wear, he'd returned in one piece. He didn't like to talk about either experience. But in a way, Adrianna respected him. They were adventures under his belt. He'd come back from them and grown stronger as a result. She wondered if she'd have the fortitude to do that.

If she made it to Bog and lived there for a time, after the baby was born, or perhaps a few years, would she go back to Berk? She could permanently live there and visit her family sometime? She didn't know if she'd give her baby up for adoption or keep it. Whatever the case, she wanted to give both of them the best chance she could. Even though she'd lived on Berk her entire life, sadly, she didn't see Berk as an option. It pained her to think so pessimistically about her home, her _old_ home, but she couldn't force her family and the village to carry this burden. This was the right thing to do.

"Come on, Lily," Adrianna said finally, needing to hear something besides the waves lapping against the prow. "Let's see if we can find some fish."

For a while they fished, hoping to catch some meat. Adrianna had packed bread and cheese and some vegetables, which she could replenish at a market on Bog or some other island if she happened to stop elsewhere. She brought all the money she'd saved up over the years. She wouldn't take any of her family's money, even though she was technically an heiress by default if anything happened to Finn. Though their family didn't ever mention it out loud, everyone in the Archipelago knew that the Haddocks had enough money to spare, as most chieftain families did. She supposed that's why her dad didn't try to save money with Ratri when he'd paid for Benen. He literally didn't care.

Adrianna didn't know what to expect on the high seas. The occasional dragon flew overhead, the waves soothed her stress, Lily stretched out on the deck. For a while, everything was calm. Adrianna leaned back against Lily and dozed off, forgetting her mission and troubles.

A while later, Lily jerked with a growl of surprise. Adrianna fumbled into a sitting position, a reprimand halfway out of her mouth. "Lily, calm-" Then she realized she was wet and the sky was darkening at a rapid pace. She stood on shaky legs, the ship deck bobbing up and down with chop. Adrianna's eyes widened in fear when she saw the storm raging ahead of them. They were heading straight for it!

"Lily!" Adrianna turned and ran for the ship wheel and turned it to the right, trying to turn them around. Lily slid across the deck with the sudden change in direction, but she flapped her wings once to stay upright. Sea spray hit them as they changed positions, but Adrianna knew it was futile. No matter what they did, they were going to be right in the middle of it.

She looked at Lily with wide eyes. Should they take off? Leave the ship and fly away as fast as they could? She had a feeling that so close to a storm, they'd be sucked in anyway and Lily could easily be overpowered, or worse break a wing. Then they'd really be in trouble. Adrianna narrowed her eyes at the oncoming storm.

"Our best bet is to stay on the ship!"

Lily growled indignantly.

"We shouldn't risk your safety in the air! If we can get through the storm, try to avoid the worst of it, then maybe we'll make it!" Adrianna yelled, the wind carrying her voice away. "You're the only one I have left Lily, and I can't lose you to a stupid storm I was dumb enough to get us into! Just... trust me!"

Even as the storm raged on, Adrianna could feel the rumbling in her dragon's chest. The Nightmare didn't like this situation at all. But she _had_ trust her rider.

"Please, Lily," Adrianna held out her hand. "We can do this! I know we can! If my parents have done this a hundred times and Finn has done this a couple times, surely we can too! If we die, you can drown me, okay?"

The dragon huffed indignantly before setting her snout under Adrianna's palm. Then she slapped her tail on the deck once and roared at the oncoming storm, as if to say, "Bring it on!" A fleeting smile crossed Adrianna's face, but she turned back to the steering wheel. She gripped it tightly with both hands, unwilling to move.

She glanced down at her stomach, still as flat as it always had been, but she knew what... _who_ she was carrying. "Don't worry. We'll get out of this. I promise."

For a little while, they were okay. The wind ripped at the sails, forcing them to go faster than before. She was glad they hadn't flown at all; Lily would have been tossed around like a rag doll. A few waves towered over the ship's edges before cascading onto the deck, knocking both Lily and Adrianna over. But the Haddock girl refused to let go of the ship wheel.

Eventually Lily left the front deck and stood over her rider's shoulder, nudging her back toward the wheel when she began to slip. Using her claws, Lily was able to dig into the wood and stay in one spot. Adrianna's boots slid across the planks when another wave blasted the ship.

The rain was so thick, she could barely see the deck; the waves were easily forty feet high and the winds buffeted the ship up and down. The sky was dark as storm clouds billowed around them; lightning flashed and thunder boomed. Adrianna briefly thought of Gobber's crazy stories of Thor fighting Jotuns in the air while his jester half-brother Loki caused mischief to spur on the fight. She'd never been in a storm; only her imagination could give her a visual on the experience. No imagination or stories could have prepared her for the terror she currently experienced.

"Lily!" Adrianna screamed, but found she couldn't hear her own voice. Hysteria crawled up her throat. She was a fool. How could she have not realized the signs of a storm coming? The humidity, the choppy waves, the cloudy sky? How did she ever think she could provide a better life for a child when she couldn't even get across the ocean?

Lily seemed to sense her fear and pressed her closer to the ship wheel. Wrapping her wings around the girl, she tucked her in close and bowed her neck down so the worst of the storm was hidden from her view. Adrianna still felt the rising of the ship before it would plummet down more waves. She still heard the snapping of ropes and tearing of sails, the pounding of waves rocking the ship. She waited for the ship to sink, when Lily would grapple to save her from the ocean's clutches, but would miss and be unable to find her. She waited to die in the sea, with nobody coming to save her. Maybe death would be merciful to life's horrors.

It seemed like forever; she didn't even notice the lack of sound or the ship's gradual slowing of speed until Lily raised her head. Dim sunlight filtered in through the hole above Adrianna's head. The Nightmare lowered her wings and Adrianna gasped. The storm was gone. A quick look over her shoulder proved that they had indeed made it through. The worst was behind them.

For once, Adrianna cried and laughed without shame. Tears splashed down her already wet cheeks, but she couldn't believe they'd made it. The laughter had to be from hysteria. Her hands were cramping on the ship wheel, her heart was pounding in her chest from the adrenaline. Her stomach twisted into knots and she slowly walked to the edge of the ship. Her arms and legs shook.

Lily cooed behind her. She turned and nearly tripped into her dragon's chest; she barely had the strength to warp her arms around the dragon's thick neck.

"We made it," she whispered. She didn't remember blacking out.

Adrianna woke up with a blanket around her shoulders. Despite sore muscles, she jerked to a sitting position, expecting her family to be standing around. They were the only people who ever put blankets around her when she was sleeping. But only Lily sat beside her on the deck. Her tail thumped happily when she saw her human.

"Oh, you found this below deck, didn't you?" Adrianna hugged the blanket tighter. "Thanks, Lily."

Lily preened, raising her head high into the air.

Adrianna looked around, taking in a deep gulp of sea air. The sky was still thick with clouds, but she could tell night was falling. Apparently she'd fallen asleep with exhaustion earlier. She moved to stand, frowning when her boots made an uncomfortable squelch. Her clothes were still damp, only dry in random patches. Her hair was a frizzy mess, her scalp crusty from sea salt. She sighed at the thought of showing up to Bog like this.

Adriana gasped. _Bog_. "Oh no... Lily, we're probably off course! I don't know where we are!"

Lily didn't seem fazed by this information. She stayed where she was on the deck, giving her rider a curious look.

"The map is soaked, too." The girl scowled, marching to a corner of the deck and picking up a soggy wad of what used to be paper. Her father's handwriting had smudged leaving the map confusing and useless. She dropped it back on the deck with a watery slap.

"Well, that's just great. Now what?" Adrianna sighed, looking up her ship. The sails were torn in multiple places. Any cargo that had been on deck was thrown around or lost at sea. Ropes were hanging in random areas, needing to be retied. She knew that would be useless if the sails were torn. She sighed again.

"Good thing I didn't plan for a life at sea, Lils. I don't make a very good pirate."

Lily chortled in agreement.

"I guess... we'll just have to fix what we can." Adrianna reasoned, walking to the main mast and climbing up the built in ladder.

With Lily's help and encouragement, she managed to fix part of one sail within the hour. Her thick blonde hair got in the way, since her braid had come undone in the storm, her hair tie lost to the depths. She figured she'd have to make a new one out of some cloth when Lily growled in excitement.

"What?" Adrianna looked down from her perch, before following her dragon's gaze. Far off in the darkening horizon, she saw lights. She gasped, clambering back down the ladder as fast as she could without slipping. She ran to her soaked satchel and pulled out her spyglass. Focusing on the lights, Adrianna's heart leaped. "An island! Maybe it's Bog!"

Relief coursed through her veins. She couldn't believe they'd made it! Even if Camicazi wouldn't let her stay on Bog, she would be grateful for a warm bath and a change of clothes. She felt disoriented form the storm and she hadn't eaten much the last few days with the morning sickness taking over her entire system, but she felt like maybe she could stomach a little soup or broth.

It took a while to get close to the island with their ripped sails slowing their pace. But eventually she could see the shores and the village beyond.

Her smile began to fade the closer they got. She'd only been to Bog Burglar Island once before but she remembered it quite clearly. Bog's village had lots of double stacked houses, which Camicazi had explained were created for extra living space and training alike. Flat rooftops were used for training exercises and battles and daredevil escapes. Women lived together in groups with a leader in each group, and an entire house created a regiment of sorts. Multiply that by nearly a hundred houses, and Bog Burglar Island was a formidable foe.

This village looked a lot different. The shores were rocky and craggy, the port a little worse for wear. The homes were mashed together unevenly, the streets crossing in varying directions. Lanterns were lit on each porch and she could vaguely see people walking about, and she didn't see any dragons.

Adrianna was even more confused when a male voice shouted, "Ho there, stranger!"

She looked up in surprise at a man pointing a bow and arrow at her from a high watchtower. Instantly, she raised her hands above her head. "Hi!"

"State yer business!"

"I'm here to speak to-" Adrianna tapered off with a frown. Camicazi didn't have men on Bog; she believed them to be less superior to women. So why would she have a man stationed as-

"Speak up there, or ye'll be shot for trespassin'!"

"I'm here to see Chief Camicazi!"

The man frowned, relaxing his stance on his bow. Then he snorted. Adrianna watched in confusion as he guffawed, clearly amused about something. "Ah wee lassie," He snickered, wiping an eye. "Yeh missed the mark a bit, aye?"

"Um..." Adrianna lowered her arms. "What do you mean?"

"Yer clear on the wrong side of the Archipelago, missie. Bog's about fifty miles that way!" The guard pointed to his right.

"What?" Adrianna yelped. "No! No, I just... That stupid storm!"

"Ahh got caught in the gale, didja? Well ain't nothin, just go on to the village, get yourself a nice ale and relax. I'm sure you'll find someone to hire to fix yer ship."

"You think so?" Adrianna asked hopefully.

"Yep. But," The man chuckled, rubbing a few fingers together. "There's a toll price to enter Rune."

Adrianna's heart nearly stopped. "Rune?"

"Told ya," The man said impatiently, waving his hand for money.

Adrianna reached into her satchel and grabbed a small pouch of gold coins. She needed to be careful with her money, as she didn't have much. But she needed to placate this man enough so she could at least find a place to stay tonight. She threw the bag up at the man, who easily caught it and inspected his pay. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, probably because it was gold. Not many young women walked around carrying gold, but she was a Haddock. Her parents had given her and Finn gold coins a while back as a gift. Not that this man needed to know that.

Turns out he didn't care, because he pocketed the gold and waved her forward. "Onward then! Dock your ship and enjoy yer stay in Rune!"

"Thanks," Adrianna said as she turned the ship into the harbor. "I think."

Lily growled her agreement.

They managed to dock the ship easily, without gaining too many stares. Adrianna grabbed her satchel, stuffed all her items of importance inside without making the bag too heavy, before exiting the ship. She'd never been to Rune before but just looking at it made her nervous. She was glad Lily was by her side to protect her.

She'd heard horrible things about Rune. Their chieftain was a rather lazy man, who didn't enforce any kind of law; he barely lifted a finger for all the terrible things that happened. Finn had been captured here and sent to Maero on a slave ship. Instantly Adrianna was on edge, unwilling to look anyone in the eye, let alone speak. But she had to find somewhere to stay, or at least find a hot meal. She'd almost settle for sleeping on the wet deck of the ship if she could find a dry, thicker blanket. But then she could get mugged in the middle of the night, or worse...

Adrianna shook herself and firmly told herself to focus. She wouldn't get anywhere if she overthought things.

They left the docks and walked into the square. Adrianna noticed right off the bat that there were few women or children out at this hour. Most of the individuals walking around were men, some in a drunken stupor as they stumbled past. She scampered out of their paths when they walked by, eager to avoid their stench and gazes.

The street smelled of alcohol and filth, the stones grimy beneath her boots. She told herself that it was only her damp shoes, but deep down she knew it was more waste and gunk. She tried to breathe out of her mouth instead of her nose. The streets smelled foul.

"'ey there, missie," A man crooned from a nearby porch.

Lily growled at him, standing beside her protectively.

What was with the men calling her "missie" around here? Adrianna thought. She didn't respond to the man. She merely kept walking, avoiding eye contact. She had a feeling she didn't want to engage with him.

"Pretty dragon for a pretty girl," The man continued. "I'd offer you a hundred gold coins right now if I was offerin'."

Adrianna stopped and looked at the man in confusion. Her instincts told her to keep walking, but now she was curious. "What exactly would you be paying for?"

"Well, the dragon obviously," The man tittered, stepping off his porch. Lily growled, wrapping her tail around Adrianna. "Not very often we get dragons just waltzing into the village like this. Especially with a pretty girl."

Adrianna wanted to vomit right on his stupid face. Through gritted teeth, she said, "She's not for sale."

She turned to walk away when the man laughed. "Too bad. I offered ya a pretty good deal too. Guess we'll take her off yer hands for free then."

"Wha-" Adrianna started to ask but suddenly a chain lashed out and wrapped around Lily's muzzle. She screamed when more men poured out of the surrounding buildings and threw chains over the Monstrous Nightmare's large body, tying down her wings and legs. Lily caught fire, trying to burn through the bonds but Adrianna saw the chains wouldn't even smolder. They seemed to be fire proof.

It was over before it even started. Adrianna was grabbed by the arm and dragged away from her dragon. "No, Lily! Please no, leave my dragon alone!"

The man who'd first spoken to her laughed and stepped off the porch. Adrianna finally took in his appearance. He was tall, lithe like her father. That's where the similarities ended. His hair was dark, grimy with a floppy hat covering his hair; his beard and mustache drooped over his chin like he hadn't washed in months. His clothes were dark and tattered. Overall, he didn't look like much, but his eyes held a good amount of intelligence.

"Thank you very much for your donation, my dear," He smiled coldly. "Like I said, we haven't had a pretty Nightmare in a long time."

"What are you going to do with her?" Adrianna demanded, pulling against the men holding her.

The men laughed at her before they dropped her to the ground. She stared up at them, unsure what to do or what was so funny.

"Yer awful naive, ya know that?" The man sneered. "This is Rune! Lots of fun things happen here, all of which include capturing innocents for the slave trade, pirating, and dragon fighting."

Adrianna was very alarmed at how flippantly these words were said, as if they were no big deal. But the one most on her mind was dragon fighting.

"No, you can't take my dragon!"

"I think, my dear," He tilted her chin with a finger and a malicious eye. "Ye'll find that I can. Take her!"

"No!"

The men began dragging Lily away, who thrashed and growled with all her might. Adrianna tried to get up and follow them, but with a flick of a finger from the apparent leader, two men dragged her in the opposite direction.

"Lily!" Adrianna cried hysterically, her still soggy boots slipping on the cobblestones. "I'll find you! I promise!"

The men dragged her dragon, her only family left, away until she was out of sight, while the men marched her back to the docks. But instead of dropping her on the docks, they pitched her over the edge. Adrianna screamed and landed on her hands and knees, tumbling to her side to cushion her fall.

"Do yerself a favor dearie," One of the man yelled down at her. "Get back on yer ship and go back to where yeh came from. The dragon's ours now."

Adrianna looked up at them with tears in her eyes. "But-"

"Aww are yeh goin' to cry?"

"Every sheltered little brat does."

"True that. We're honestly bein' pretty generous to yeh, lettin' yeh go like this." The man smirked. "We could be having loads of other fun right now."

Adrianna's blood ran cold. Brandyn had said the same thing once. The thought made her skin crawl and her heart pound.

"Bummer. It woulda been fun. But alas, we have dragon fights to attend. Hope yeh enjoy yer lonely trip home!" The men laughed and walked off the docks, leaving her on the rocky shore.

When their torchlight faded out, Adrianna looked up and down the shore, wishing for somebody to help her. But she was truly alone now. And it was all her fault. Tears gathered in her eyes; she tried to breathe deeply, to keep calm. But she didn't know what to do next. She couldn't leave Lily to these monsters. She _had_ to save her dragon!

Slowly, she got to her feet. Her hands and knees were scraped, taking the brunt of the fall. Luckily it had been a short four foot drop. She'd read that hard falls could be harmful to pregnancy. Hopefully she hadn't fallen hard enough to be dangerous.

Wiping her eyes on her sleeves, Adrianna took stock of her provisions. She didn't have much. If the men wanted a hundred or more gold coins for her dragon, she wouldn't be able to buy her back. Her best bet was to steal her back. She didn't know how she'd do it or what the men would do if they saw her trying to get in, but she'd gotten this far. She'd successfully escaped Berk with a ship, taken from under the very nose of the Hooligan guard. She'd survived a massive storm that easily could have killed her if she didn't have her dragon by her side.

Somehow, someway, she'd sneak into the inner workings of the dragon fighting ring and get Lily back. She was on her own out here with nobody coming as backup, no plan B, nothing. Just her brain and the provisions on her back. Escaping Berk had been no picnic; she'd been up most of the night concocting her plan. These men were clearly pretty smart; she just had to be smarter.

With that, Adrianna scrambled back onto the docks and sneaked into the nearest shadows, following the trail of footsteps and her dragon's tail etched in the dirt.


	14. Speechless

Finn didn't like angry flights with his dad.

After chewing out the guard who'd fallen asleep on the job and allowed his daughter to escape with an entire ship, Hiccup had stomped toward Finn and Zap with one of Adrianna's favorite sweaters. Zap had snuffled it for a minute and began hopping around, clearly eager to find her missing girl.

They'd fought the storm tooth and nail, but finally they'd gotten past it. And when they had, Hiccup and Toothless led the entourage at super sonic speeds. Zap did her best to keep up with the Night Fury. Toothless and Stormfly were as good at tracking as Zap, but without the Shockjaw, they would have lost the scent long ago.

As the waves blurred beneath them, Finn stole the occasional glance at his parents. Astrid stared ahead with a determined scowl, but he couldn't discern his father's expression because of the mask he wore. He could tell by the stiff shoulders and white-knuckled grip on Toothless' steering rod that he wasn't happy.

They traveled on for a few hours, dodging lingering storm clouds and following the dragons' noses. Finn tried to calculate where they were going, where his sister might have fled to, but their flight patterns had changed course enough times that he lost track in his mental map. He'd taken to memorizing maps so he'd know exactly how to get to the different islands, should the need arise. Apparently he needed more study.

In addition to his parents, they were joined by Gustav Larson, Snotlout and Horst. The trio trailed behind the Haddocks silently, scanning the skies for other dragon riders or ships in the water. Finn faced forward again, finding it difficult to see behind him in the mask. He wondered if he should have the eye holes widened to expand his peripheral vision. He was grateful for the suit too; it kept off the chill from the high speeds and winds, and he found Zap was able to fly even faster than usual. To top it off, Zap had excitedly shot some electric sparks into the ocean at the beginning of their trip and for once, his hair didn't stand up on end. He wished he could really see what they could do with his new flight suit, but that would have to wait.

Toothless suddenly growled, teeth bared as he looked at the ocean. Hiccup, Finn and Zap looked down at the same time, and the teenager's stomach tightened. "Is that-"

"Debris." Hiccup said before twisting Toothless into a dive, straight toward the ocean. Zap and the other dragons followed behind quickly, slowing their pace when they got closer to the water.

A few broken boxes and tattered sails floated on the waves. Hiccup stretched out and snatched one out of the water to inspect it. He turned toward Astrid and held up the cloth: a ripped Hooligan flag.

They hovered in midair silently, unsure how to continue. Finn felt the fear rising in his chest. Did this mean the ship had sunk? Did his sister survive? He wanted to think that she'd abandon ship long before it sank...

Astrid broke the silence. "Do we still have a scent?"

Hiccup balled up the sail and shoved it in a saddlebag. "Yes."

"Then let's keep looking."

Finn still couldn't see his dad's face, but he could sense his distress. If they didn't find Adrianna soon, he was going to lose it, and no amount of placating could dissolve that.

"Zap, which way?" Finn asked. Zap sniffed the air before turning to the east. "Alright, let's go then."

"We'd better pick up the pace," Hiccup announced. "It's going to be dark soon."

* * *

Adrianna hated the dark.

Despite her complete distaste, given her life-long experiences of dire peril, she found she could appreciate it in this moment. Being small and thin, she was able to sneak through the shadows and past even the most congested areas of Rune without being spotted. Funny, she should have thought of this earlier, before those jerks stole her dragon.

There had been a few close calls though. Her clothes were too easy to see in the torchlight. So keeping an eye on her surroundings, she'd quickly bought a black cloak from a street vendor. The man had overcharged her by a ridiculous amount, and she knew she didn't have a lot of money to spend, but she was desperate. If she didn't find and save Lily, she'd be the Archipelago's easiest target. She'd be alone and either stuck on this stupid rock, or alone and stuck in the ocean on her way to who knew where. She obviously hadn't been able to find Bog Burglar Island with Lily at her side; there was no way she'd ever find it by herself!

More importantly, she wanted her friend back. Lily had been there since she was ten! She was the only one she openly spoke to about everything... literally _everything_. Even her confused feelings about Erick, before Brandyn had to go and screw up her life. Literally.

With a frustrated sigh, Adrianna shoved aside her pessimistic thoughts and donned the black cloak. It was a little too big, just brushing the grimy cobblestones, but it would serve it's purpose. Now, she was practically invisible. Weariness and hunger dragged her down, but she didn't stop. She didn't trust the food being offered at the sketchy street businesses at this hour. She just had to get Lily and get the heck out of this place. While skipping meals wasn't wise during pregnancy, when she already struggled to keep things down the last couple days anyway, she didn't want to make herself and the baby sick (or worse) because Rune was a town of vile, disgusting people that didn't know how to cook or clean or treat people kindly-

"Adrianna, shut up!" she whispered hoarsely to herself. "Seriously. Shut up."

She continued through the darkened streets, keeping her head down and wits about her. She honestly didn't know where she was going; she could barely see the footprints in the dirt anymore. So she kept moving.

That's when she heard the cheering. She paused in her steps and listened carefully. It was still far away, but that was definitely cheering, probably from some sort of arena. She was getting closer! Excited, Adrianna increased her speed to a careful run. She barely managed to dodge a few crates hiding in a dark alley.

It was another twenty minutes before she found the dragon fighting arena. Luckily, Vikings were loud and obnoxious during any kind of ceremony or sport. Once she got close, they weren't too hard to find. The walls towered above her in an unfamiliar style of architecture. Adrianna realized she'd have to climb a wall to get inside, which didn't sound safe or practical.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the clearing. Soundlessly, Adrianna crept back into the shadows and sat down, blending into the darkness. She watched as a few men marched toward a door that she hadn't noticed before. It was thick and rusty, built right into the walls. One of the men inserted a key and held the door open for the other man.

"Aw thanks, Rolph," The man said. "You do c-"

WHAM!

Adrianna covered her mouth to hide her wince. The man crumpled to the ground with a grunt, a door-shaped crease on his forehead.

"Owwwww! Watcha do that for, Rolph?"

"You're as stupid as you are gullible, Leroy." Rolph stated with a chuckle. "Now make like a maggot and fly!" Rolph cackled, slapping his knee before marching inside.

Leroy got to his feet, brushing off his pants and retrieving his weapon. "That joke ain't even funny."

"Yeah, then why don't you ever tell jokes? Cuz you ain't got any!" Rolph said. "Now let's go. Gotta get the next dragons ready."

The men retreated inside the arena, their conversation cutting to an indiscernible close when the door slammed shut.

Adrianna stared at the door, wishing she could have somehow retrieved the key before they'd left. Of course, she would have had no opportunity and with no weapons to really make a difference, she wouldn't have stood a chance.

She sighed, and whispered to herself, "What would Finn do? Well obviously Finn would have knocked them out. Same with mom. But dad..."

Her father was smart. Stories told of all the times he'd outwitted people to defeat foes and win hard challenges, even at a young age. They said he had to be smarter than his foes to make up for his loss in size, but she knew better. Her father was naturally the smartest man she knew.

An idea struck her. Digging into her satchel, she found a few hair pins. Staring at the door's locks from afar, she wondered if she could still manage to get inside after all.

She ran to the door and quickly began picking the locks. One of Erick's favorite books to read when they were young was about codes, ciphers and lock picking. She wondered what he'd think of her right now, how crazy this whole thing was. Guilt riddled her chest for leaving and not saying goodbye, but she ignored it. She didn't want anyone to walk by and see her trying to break in. She'd mourn her losses at a less critical time.

When the lock clicked in the silence, Adrianna had to stifle her yelp of excitement. She pulled the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind her again with the quiet stealth of a Night Fury. The analogy made her smile beneath the hood, giving her courage. This entire thing was crazy; Finn was the adventurous one, not her. But the realization of how far she'd come that day gave her a rush of courage. She'd made it this far; she'd find Lily and escape Rune in one piece.

As she crept through the darkened, quiet halls, she thought about Toothless. If he was here, the Night Fury would probably growl and drag her back into the shadows and lecture her in his dragon language that only her father seemed to be able to understand. She'd probably sass him back and end up getting covered from chin to hairline in dragon drool.

She held in a sigh, willing herself to focus and not dwell on memories. They would only distract her from the task at hand.

Voices echoed down the hallways ahead of her. Adrianna fumbled in a panic for a moment before noticing a nearby door. She lunged for the handle and discovered a cleaning closet with old, dusty brooms, mops and buckets. She dove inside before the men turned the corner.

"-hear somethin'?"

"Naw."

"Coulda sworn I heard a door closin'."

Adrianna pressed back into the closet, trying to calm her pounding heart. She reached inside her satchel and grabbed her only weapon: a small dagger. She'd never been a fighter; she'd never been very good at hand to hand combat. But she knew from her last experience with Brandyn that she had the guts to cause harm if necessary.

For herself, for Lily, for her baby, she had to be willing to do whatever it took to get out of here with everyone intact. She couldn't afford weakness or screw-ups.

"The only place here to hide is this ole' cleanin' closet. Now tell me Leroy, what kinda imbecile would hide in a cleanin' closet?"

"Well-"

"Furthermore, what kinda moron would break into the Ring? How exactly would they break in? What would be the purpose?"

"Uh-"

"Precisely, Leroy. They ain't and they wouldn't, so that means you're stupid."

"What?"

"But, if you insist, since you're rude like that, I'll check anyway."

Adrianna's heart leapt into her throat as the handle jiggled. She pressed into the shadows as the door flung open.

"There now, ya see? Ain't nothin' there, Leroy! How come ya gotta question my authority so much?"

"I didn't, Rolph-"

The door slammed suddenly, causing Adrianna to nearly jump out of her skin.

"That's enough outta you! Get movin', ya ingrate!"

Adrianna heard Leroy's footsteps move down the corridor. Despite her fear, she almost felt sorry for the man. He didn't seem to be very bright, but this Rolph character was a jerk. Her grip on the dagger loosened when Rolph's footsteps soon followed Leroy's, but suddenly her nose began to tingle.

Heart in her throat, Adrianna realized the door slamming had caused all the surrounding dust to explode. She rubbed her nose violently, trying to prevent the sneeze from coming. But it would not be deterred. She shoved her face into her cloak, trying to muffle it, but-

"ACHOO!"

The footsteps stopped in the hallway. Adrianna's eyes were wide as saucers, silently cursing herself. Not three minutes ago she was nearly giddy with her good fortune for opening a door. Now she was a dead woman.

She could hear Rolph and Leroy marching back to the closet. She stood tall, waiting as the door swung back open and both men stared into the black shadowed closet with confused expressions.

"'ey Rolph?"

"Yeh?"

"Is this place haunted?"

"Shedep, Leroy and check it out."

"Why don't you check it out, Rolph?"

"Cuz I'm the boss and more valuable!"

Leroy frowned but stepped closer into the closet. It was deep enough for the man to step inside the closet, easy enough for a girl her size to hide. But she could almost feel the sleeve of his shirt brushing her cloak. Another turn and he'd see her for sure.

As if on cue, Leroy turned a look toward her and stared in confusion. It took Adrianna a millisecond to concoct a plan, but instantly she let loose a war cry and tackled the man. Leroy and Rolph stumbled backwards with cries of sheer terror, probably more stunned than from actual fear. The men stumbled over themselves to escape her, which gave her just enough time to take off down the hallway and turn a corner.

She didn't dare stop, since she could already hear them recovering from their shock. Adrianna didn't know where she was going; she could hear crowds yelling from above, but didn't know where they were keeping the dragons. But now with two men on her tail, she knew she didn't have much time to find Lily and bust her out before they caught her or involved more guards.

A weapons rack caught her eye as she ran past and she halted in her tracks. An idea struck her; she wanted to think better of her actions, but she had to try. There was no use running.

Snatching a decent sized club, Adrianna took the next corner and waited. Pounding footsteps echoed down the halls, followed by Rolph's reprimands about Leroy's failure at simple duties. Adrianna forced herself to exhale slowly. She waited until just the right moment when they turned the corner.

Adrianna swung the club upwards and clocked Leroy under the chin. The man went down with a hard thud and didn't move again. She made to swing again, but Rolph grabbed her arm and wrenched her arm backwards. She cried out in pain when he twisted it painfully.

"Ahh what have we here?" Rolph snatched her underneath the chin and raised her off the ground by the cloak. The hood slipped down to reveal her hair and face, and the man laughed. "A little wretch. Watcha doin in here, precious?"

Adrianna clawed at his arm, trying to get back down. Fear threatened to overwhelm her; she hadn't even found Lily and now she was going to be taken to a jail cell or worse. How could she have messed up so badly?

"HEY!"

Adrianna and Rolph turned to the voice at the exact same time. She barely had time to register a flash of bright red hair before a loud TWANG sounded and Rolph's body snapped backwards. Adrianna gasped at the arrow lodged in his shoulder. Rolph dropped her as he fell to the ground, a yell tearing from his throat at the wound.

Adrianna hit the ground and gasped, clambering away from the man. She turned a look up at her savior and nearly choked on her own voice. "Finn?"

Finn, decked out in his new leather riding suit and weapons, marched up to Rolph, who lay squirming on the ground. She had to admit that he looked great in the suit; like a future chieftain. He knocked another arrow when the guard reached for a dagger on his hip. "Ah ah ah, don't even think about it." Finn kept the weapon poised, but turned a glare to his sister. "What the Hel is wrong with you?"

Adrianna could only stare up at him in shock. She couldn't believe he was here. But that meant-

A familiar growl came down the hall before Zap emerged, sniffing her up and down and licking her face.

"Okay, okay," Adrianna said quietly, rubbing her scales. "I missed you too."

"We've got to do something with them before more guards show up." Finn said.

Adrianna stood shakily. "Like?"

Finn gestured to the unconscious Leroy. "Drag him into that corner by the weapons."

Adrianna swallowed hard. How could she tell her brother that she couldn't possibly drag a full grown man across a room, not because she was a weak girl with no strength, but because she was pregnant?

"I can't-"

"Gods, Adrianna." Finn growled, dropped his bow and arrow and drew his axe. To Rolph, he said, "Make one move and she'll slice your arm clean off." To Adrianna, he said, "You _can_ handle that, right? All you have to do is swing."

Adrianna snatched the axe from him with a scowl. She ignored him as he dragged Leroy to the corner.

"If you're so upset, then why come looking for me?"

"Gods, not now." Finn said, marching back over and retrieving his weapons. "Save it for dad."

"Dad?" Adrianna gasped. "He's here?"

"Yeah, let me knock this guy out so we can leave!" Finn growled, raising his foot toward Rolph's face.

"Wait!" Adrianna tackled Finn causing him to miss.

Finn couldn't possibly look angrier in that moment. "You are SO infuriating!"

"I need him!" Adrianna shouted back.

Her brother frowned, anger momentarily forgotten. "What?

"What?" Rolph asked weakly from the floor.

"They took Lily. Help me get her back, using him as a guide in this place, and we'll be on our merry way since I'm so infuriating." Adrianna said levelly.

"Gods, you kids are really annoying."

"Shut up Rolph, you don't get a say in this."

"Clearly."

Finn rubbed his temples. "I really hate you."

"Likewise."

Despite the harsh words spoken between them, Adrianna felt grateful that he'd saved her from Rolph, and though he'd never admit it, she could see the relief in her brother's eyes. He'd been worried about her after all.

Her brother snapped off the end of the arrow protruding from Rolph's chest and hauled the man to his feet. He groaned and winced when Finn placed a blade at his throat. "Lead on, Rolphie. Where are they keeping the dragons?"

Despite his injury, Rolph managed to relay the directions as they went. Adrianna didn't talk to her brother again as they walked, thinking of a plan. The second they freed Lily, she had to get on her back and leave Rune as soon as possible before their parents found them. She couldn't face them. Not here, not ever.

Rolph directed them through the corridors with loathing in his voice. Blood seeped through his armored vest down his torso, soaking Finn's arm holding him up. Adrianna realized that from the long distance down the hall, Finn had accurately pinpointed one of the few flaws in the armor and made an accurate shot. Adrianna hoped he wouldn't bleed to death; she didn't want anybody to die, even if he threw her glares every few seconds.

Adrianna nearly jumped out of her skin when two guards turned a corner and saw them. They raised their weapons, but Finn held the knife tighter to Rolph's throat.

"Call them off."

"I can't, idiot," Rolph snapped. "They don't listen teh me. Everyone in this building is stupid."

Finn tilted the blade at a sharper angle. "Then I suppose you're expendable-"

"No, no, no..." Rolph squeaked, his hardened exterior melting by the second. He threw out an arm to the guards. "Get outta here!"

"But-"

"Shedep and go!"

The men hesitantly turned and fled down the hallway they'd come. Adrianna had a sinking feeling they'd be coming back with reinforcements soon.

"Oh Rolphie?" Finn sang, pushing the man forward. "If you couldn't tell, we're in a bit of a rush. Mind speeding up the process here?"

"Mind layin' off my vocal chords, kid?" Rolph hissed. "Take a right."

As they moved, Adrianna couldn't help but admire her brother's control of the situation. He didn't take no for an answer and he talked to the man as if _he_ was in charge. It was almost entertaining to watch.

They turned another corner and Rolph muttered, "Third door on the right."

"Thanks Rolph, you're a gem." Finn pulled the blade away from his neck and stepped back. Before Adrianna could blink, Finn slammed the butt of his dagger into the back of Rolph's head. The man's eyes rolled back into his head and he crumpled.

Adrianna's eyes were wide as he stepped over the man and looked inside the barred door. "I didn't know you were so good at this."

"Guess you should've brought me along on your little adventure." Finn remarked scathingly, inserting his blade into the locked door. "There are dragons inside."

She tried to look inside, but didn't want to block the little light Finn already had. She didn't want him to cut his fingers. Instead, she stood beside him with crossed arms and replied, "I couldn't tell anyone-"

"That's bull and you know it." Finn snapped. "I know I'm the king of taking off without warning but you should know better."

Adrianna huffed and ignored his comment. She didn't need his lectures. He didn't know what her reasons were.

The door clicked and Finn threw it open, stepping inside. A dozen dragons were chained to the walls, looking hungry and sad. Zap crooned sadly but hopped away when a blue and yellow Gronckle growled at her for getting too close. Adrianna scanned the room for Lily, but came up short-handed. Her dragon wasn't here.

" _Shoot_..."

"Seriously?" Finn asked. "All this and that's the strongest word you can come up with?"

"Sorry I don't swear when I'm upset, Finn!" Adrianna snapped. "Maybe I'll change my ways after this and act just like you from now on!"

"Commendable, but also not important." Finn moved past her and grabbed something on the floor, hiding in the shadows: purple saddle with bags hanging limp.

"Lily... she _was_ here."

A large bang sounded outside the large room and both roaring and cheers could be heard.

"The fights are out there," Finn said. "We've got to get up there."

Luckily, their expected company still hadn't arrived. Together they ran through the halls with Zap on their heels. It took a few minutes of searching, but finally they found a door with stairs on the other side that led up to the arena. Finn scanned their surroundings before leading the way and looking down into the pit. Adrianna's heart froze at what she saw.

Lily was inside, fighting to get away from an angry, abused Deadly Nadder. She was limping, a gash on her front leg that bled profusely on the stones. Adrianna knew she would be overpowered soon. The Nadder shot spines at the Nightmare; she managed to dodge most of them, but one managed to cut her wing as it shot by. Lily roared in pain and backed up against a wall.

"We've got to do something!" Adrianna said over the noise.

Finn wasn't watching Lily when he said, "I've got a few ideas."

"Like w-" Adrianna followed his gaze and nearly choked again. Her parents were standing a hundred feet away talking with a man who looked to be a manager of sorts, probably for the dragon fights themselves. She felt herself backing up before Finn reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Don't even think about it."

"I can't go back, Finn!" She pulled against his hand, which tightened on her arm. "You don't understand-"

"I _do_ actually!" Finn finally yelled. "I think it's pretty obvious at this point that you couldn't survive a day on your own! Look around, Anna!"

Adrianna didn't want to. She didn't want to see things from his point of view. While she was only focused on her dragon, she didn't want to see what he was seeing. This was the place he'd been captured and sold as a slave; what sort of things could be standing out to him to remind him of the horrors he'd seen as a child?

She turned a look at the crowds. Alcohol sloshed out of cups and spilled onto tiles, scantily dressed women passed through the crowds and sat in the laps of drunken men, a fist fight erupted on the bottom level, all while a dragon fight was ongoing. She took a step back when her surroundings clicked and the smells and sounds all hit her at once.

"You need to stop focusing on one little thing and start focusing on your surroundings." Finn said firmly. "Because _that_ could be you. Easily."

Adrianna frowned. "Which part?"

Finn sighed. "The women, Adrianna. They're pleasure slaves."

She gasped, looking again. At the first look, the women only seemed to be out of her comfort zone; she probably would have avoided them before. But then details stood out: the chain scars around their wrists and necks, the bruises, the empty look in some of their eyes. Few women were free roaming.

Adrianna stepped back, blocking them from her view. She turned a fearful look up at her brother. "A-are you sure that's what they are?"

Finn's expression looked haunted. He didn't need to reply, but it was obvious that they weren't the first pleasure slaves he'd seen. "Let's go."

Adrianna didn't want to stay here anymore. She'd never wanted to come to Rune in the first place, but now she couldn't seem to leave. She wanted to get Lily out of that ring as fast as possible, but she didn't know how she'd do that without her parents noticing. She'd have to find a way to lose Finn, if that was even possible.

Ignoring her inner musings, Finn walked toward their parents. Zap pushed against her waist, ushering her forward. Adrianna turned away from the crowd of gross people and followed Finn. When they were close enough to hear their voices, she froze. She could still run and hide, while Finn's back was still turned, before her parents saw her. But Zap would probably follow her, she was desperate to save Lily, and... Finn's words scared her. She didn't want to be snatched up by some slave trader and have to relive her worst nightmare over and over again every day because she wouldn't listen. She was way in over her head.

"That's my daughter's dragon in there!" Hiccup exclaimed, his angry voice carrying over the crowd. "Where is she?"

"As I've told yeh, we ain't got no girls locked up!" The man exclaimed, before pausing. "Well, not any new ones."

Hiccup lashed out and grabbed the man by the throat. His hissed response was drowned out by the crowd.

All of this was her fault. She didn't know how she could possibly face them. She shook her head and turned to Finn. "I can't."

His look was incredulous. "What?"

"I can't talk to them, Finn. Help me get Lily and I'll leave Rune."

"Are you out of your freaking mind?" Finn growled. "You've seriously lost it if you think I'm letting you walk away!"

"I don't want to walk anywhere, Finn. I want to fly." The crowd nearly drowned out their voices. She turned a nervous look to Lily, who was tiring fast.

"She's not going to be able to fly!" Finn exclaimed. "The only way we are getting out of Rune in one piece is by leaving together. All of us."

"It's not happening! I can't do this to them!" Adrianna cried.

"You're already doing this to them! Look at them!" Finn pointed back toward their parents, who were still in deep conversation with the man. "They're about to rip this island to shreds looking for you!"

"They don't need me."

Finn growled in frustration. He looked about ready to whack her on the head next.

"Please Finn," She pleaded. "Help me save Lily and I'll go."

Finn smiled and shook his head. "Not going to happen. I'm not going to betray my parents again." Swiftly he grabbed her arm and walked forward, pulling her along.

"Finn, no, let go!"

Ignoring her, Finn yelled, "Dad!"

Instantly, their parents whipped around. Finn pushed her forward, ignoring her glare. "Found her."

Hiccup released the man and ran forward, anger melting into worry. "Addie! Are you hurt?"

"No."

He inspected the scrapes on her hands before pulling her into a tight embrace. "I've got you. You're safe, you're not going anywhere." Adrianna realized he was more assuring himself than talking to her. He patted Finn's arm as he walked past in a silent thank you.

"Dad, we need to get Lily out of there."

"I know." Hiccup stepped back, anger rekindling in his eyes. "Go stand by your mother."

Adrianna stared up at him, solidifying her stance. She couldn't go back to Berk.

Her dad started to see the defiance in her eyes. She'd never been very defiant toward him, but the resulting glare she was getting made her cringe. Hiccup turned and pointed toward Astrid. " _Now_."

Instantly she went and stood by Astrid, who looked at her disapprovingly. This is what she'd wanted to avoid. The disapproval, the anger. And they didn't even know the truth yet.

Hiccup grasped the manager of the fights by the turtle neck and shoved his face into the bars. "See that purple Monstrous Nightmare?"

"Yeh, you've already mentioned this-"

"She is property of Berk. Release her now and I'll go easy on you."

The man chuckled and shoved Hiccup's hands off. Straightening his shirt, he said, "Sorry _Chief_ , but I don't take orders from you. If you hadn't noticed, we're on Rune. No rules apply here."

"Clearly." Hiccup replied, before making eye contact with Zap. The Shockjaw lashed out with her tail and a burst of electricity shot forward. Sparks danced up the man's body before he collapsed in a shaking heap. Adrianna jerked in... well, _shock_. He'd given that order without batting an eye and Zap knew exactly what he wanted? When could he do that?

Finn looked just as surprised, while their mom and the other Berkian men looked on with smiles. Wait, when had _they_ arrived? Adrianna had only just realized that Horst and Gustav were standing nearby, while Snotlout sat in Hookfang's saddle watching Lily. All three men had glares of disapproval on their faces.

Seeing Gustav made Adrianna pause and look around more, looking for a certain blond. But she came up empty handed. Apparently Erick hadn't come.

"Snotlout, Gustav?" Hiccup asked. "Will you do the honors?"

"With pleasure." Snotlout smirked, both Nightmares taking off and hovering over the caged dome. Adrianna watched on in surprise as the dragons hauled the dome clean off its hinges. It took a lot of effort and encouraging, but soon the dragons flew the dome away from the Ring and dumped it in the nearby streets with a mighty crash.

The crowds were soon in upheaval. Hiccup stood with crossed arms, watching the madness unfold. "Horst, Finn. Clear the stands."

Excitement passed over Finn's face as he jumped into his saddle. "I've always wanted to do this."

Zap and Horst's Gronckle took off in different directions, each spraying fiery shocks and lava blasts into the stands, scattering the crowds. Adrianna watched the madness unfold until her dad turned on his heel and walked to the nearest stairway. She heard a door smash in before Toothless ran into the Ring toward Lily. She realized he'd been scratching at the door trying to get inside this whole time.

Toothless kept the Deadly Nadder at bay while Hiccup carefully walked up to Lily with soothing words and an outstretched hand. Luckily she seemed to remember her rider's dad and instantly allowed him to look at her wounds.

"Can I..." Adrianna asked.

Astrid sighed through her nose and nodded. She nearly ran down the stairs and ran to Lily, wrapping her big scaly face in a hug.

"I'm sorry, girl." She whispered. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Lily rumbled in response, her eyes only wide with worry for her rider. At least somebody wasn't mad at her. Then she jerked with a hiss and Hiccup winced.

"Sorry, girl."

The wound on her leg was long and deep. Various other scrapes covered her scales, some of them flaking off. Adrianna's heart broke for her dragon. She felt so guilty for everything and disappointed in herself that she'd come so far, but was otherwise unsuccessful. There was no way she'd escape her family and three professional dragon riders with an injured dragon and half destroyed, stolen ship.

This was a disaster.

It took a while but Hiccup finally managed to wrap Lily's leg and get her out of the Ring. They freed the rest of the dragons, which was a happy sight. But before long the Berkian troupe had to leave the Ring and get back to the ship. Adrianna realized that they'd caused a lot of mayhem tonight; fire still ate along the wooden benches above them, sending plumes of smoke into the sky.

As they neared the ship, Hiccup waved the men and their dragons forward. Finn stood nearby hesitantly, unsure if he should stay for the talk or go on the ship. Before he could make a decision, Hiccup started talking.

"Now tell me honestly, if you can," Hiccup said. "Are you hurt at all?"

"No."

"Did you take any falls?"

The question sounded weird, so she frowned. "I"m fine."

Hiccup sounded impatient when he said, "It's not you I'm worried about!"

The statement took a moment to register, but when it did she took a step back. No... how could they possibly know?

"We know about the baby, Adrianna." Astrid said, confirming her fears.

"What?" She gasped. "How?"

Hiccup almost sneered. "Erick."

Her face fell. Was he really that incapable of keeping a secret?

"Don't make that face like he's to blame for this." Hiccup snapped. "You took off, what were we supposed to think? Obviously we would grill your closest friends for every bit of information. Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

Adrianna glared at the ground, her emotions swimming. She didn't know if she should feel angry or sad.

"Why did you leave?" Hiccup demanded. "Did you think that we couldn't offer you anything? That we wouldn't help you?"

Her glare snapped to his face. "I'm sick of making you take care of my problems!"

" _This_ is a problem, Adrianna!" Hiccup shouted, pointing at the town behind them. "You don't understand a thing that's happening right now, do you?"

"You're right, I don't!" Adrianna yelled back. "Maybe I'm just too stupid to understand anything, unlike Finn who understands every little thing you tell him!"

"Quit the pity party, this isn't about Finn." Astrid said calmly.

"Well what do you want me to say?"

"I want you tell me what the Hel you were thinking!" Hiccup shouted, his anger melting into something she didn't recognize. "Rune, of all places! We thought the ship was sunk in the ocean when we found things from Berk floating in the waves. What do you want me to think?" Hiccup grabbed her shoulders and gave her a firm shake. "I don't care what the reason is but don't you EVER do this to me again!"

Adrianna's eyes were wide in shock. He'd never grabbed her like this before, but it wasn't aggression; it was panic. He had a crazy look in his eyes that made her anger freeze.

Hiccup sighed and pulled her into his chest, hugging her tight. "You kids are going to be the death of me. Don't ever do this again."

Eyes still wide, she could feel his heart pounding in his chest under all the armor and leather he wore. She'd honestly terrified him and all of it was coming down at once. He stood there holding her for a few minutes before finally Astrid put an arm on Finn's shoulder. "Let's get on the ship. We can talk more after we leave."

Hiccup sighed and nodded, releasing her and allowing her to follow walk to the gang plank. She didn't look back until she heard her mom call Finn.

"Finn. Are you okay?"

Adrianna turned to see her brother staring into the distance, down a wide street. He was tense, eyes narrowed in what looked like anger and... fear?

Hiccup stood next to him and instantly straightened. Resting an arm on Finn's shoulder, he ushered him toward the ship. "Leave it."

A muscle stood out in Finn's jaw as he brushed past his sister, ignoring whatever it was he'd seen. Hiccup helped her onto the ship before directing Astrid to take her downstairs to the cabin. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

Adrianna gulped, hating every bit of this situation. Her dragon was injured, the ship was in shambles, her stomach was tied in knots. She hated to admit it, but she'd failed. She was going back to Berk with her family.

* * *

Worn footprints adorned the floor of the boat as Hiccup paced, the steady stepping sounds the only thing anyone could hear other than the waves crashing on either side. Occasionally, one of the men above deck would shift or walk around but their steps were muffled. Hiccup's came in loud and clear, giving Adrianna the distinct feeling that she was in more trouble with each footfall.

Toothless watched his rider's pacing back and forth and back again, looking almost hypnotized by the steady motion. Astrid sat across from Adrianna, staring at her axe in her lap. She ran a rock across its blade to sharpen it and Adrianna winced at the noise. She couldn't help but think she was going to be the unlucky recipient of its next blow.

Finally, Hiccup kicked a crate, which contained some of Adrianna's writings and doodles, miraculously still dry despite the storm. Even in her panic, Adrianna couldn't help but think that she had chosen a very sturdy boat.

"What were you _thinking_?"

It would have been better if he had shouted. Hiccup's voice came out trembling and full of emotion. It almost sounded like he wanted to yell but couldn't summon the righteous anger.

Adrianna remained silent.

"Running off like that without even telling us… gods, what the _Hel_ is wrong with you?" The footsteps ceased as Hiccup turned toward his daughter.

Adrianna had never fully registered the height difference between herself and her father until now. He had been so gentle to her, even when punishing her, that the ten inches hardly registered. Now he seemed an immovable wall of anger and disappointment. Adrianna had never been _frightened_ of Hiccup before but now she was terrified. She knew now why people all over the Archipelago feared him. For the first time in her life, she wished he wasn't her father.

"You could have died. What's more, you could have cost your child their life." Hiccup's sharp green eyes bored into hers. "Explain yourself. Please, help me understand what could possess you to do something so stupid and dangerous. I want to know."

"I was trying to get to Bog!" Adrianna's voice came through almost of its own accord.

"Bog isn't anywhere near here!" Hiccup ran his fingers through his hair. "Rune! Of all places!"

"The storm blew me off course-"

"That's another thing! You could have been killed! We didn't know if you'd sunk the ship and drowned-"

Adrianna huffed a bit. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"No! You're not! I know when you're remorseful and right now, you're being just as defiant as Finn used to be!" Hiccup snapped, looking like he had lost all patience. "What would possess you to do this to us?"

Adrianna felt like her jaw was glued shut. Her puny excuses flew out of her head faster than water in cupped hands. Stranger still, she felt a tiny spark of anger within her. Hiccup didn't need to be so self-righteous.

"You don't understand a thing." Adrianna said in a dead sort of voice. "You just came here to get me without thinking. If you'd really thought about it—"

"You're right." Hiccup snapped. "If I'd really thought about it, I'd have realized you're an ungrateful little girl who doesn't appreciate a damned _thing_."

"Hiccup." Astrid spoke up for the first time. "You don't mean that."

"Don't I?" Hiccup growled, his voice raising. "For years, I have done everything in my power to keep you safe. Everything." He pointed to the jagged scar down his neck. "And what you did today spits in the face of all the love I have given you in the last seventeen years. Hel, even earlier than that." Hiccup paused and Adrianna noticed his fingers twitching. Was he shaking? "And for you to just _run off_ like that. To act like I would ever put my position or my pride ahead of your life. Your baby's life. Gods, you don't know me at _all_."

"But you failed." Adrianna said through gritted teeth. "We wouldn't be here if you hadn't."

"And you think that doesn't eat at me? Gods, Adrianna, I'm so angry I want to tear this room apart and it's not just because you ran off, it's not just because you endangered your life and my grandchild's life, it's because for all the efforts I've put forth, for all the times I've worked hard, harder than you could even _imagine_ , to make sure this kind of thing would never happen to you…" Hiccup's voice broke. He cleared his throat and tried to continue but his words came out shaky and more timid. "It did. I still… I still failed."

And there he was. The terrifying dragon conquering chief of Berk had somehow, in seven words, turned back into her daddy. A broken man who had tried so hard and still done so little to stop life's horrors from affecting either of his children. He may have been successful in dragon training and saving the island from threat after threat but when it came to two of the most precious people in his life, there were no heroics. No last minute salvation.

And Adrianna felt… _pity_. Perhaps she hadn't really thought about it until now. It was so strange, for all the times Hiccup had been moved to tears by the painful situations of either her or Finn, she hadn't imagined him being as ripped apart as they were by those events. And now it seemed to crash down on her.

"I really hurt you." Adrianna whispered. She felt a sudden, strange tightness in her throat as she forced the words through.

Hiccup turned away from her, his breathing labored. Astrid finally rose to her feet, placing her axe on the bench behind her.

"I think I understand what this is about," she said in a calm, almost soothing voice. Slowly, so that Adrianna wouldn't flinch, she tucked a loose strand of her daughter's hair behind her ear. "All these years, you've seen yourself as a burden. Am I close?" Adrianna nodded. "And," she placed her hands on the sides of Adrianna's chin, "you wanted to relieve us of it. Of you," she glanced down at Adrianna's stomach, "of both of you."

Adrianna nodded again, the tightness in her throat restricting speech. Hiccup had gone rigid but he did not turn around. Astrid turned toward her husband, crouching slightly in front of him so that he would look her in the eye.

"And you," she said in the same calm tone, "don't see it like that. We don't see it like that. It's been worth it. Yeah, it sucks when it happens, but that's being a parent. That's loving your kids. And it's not something we could even begin to expect her to understand. Not yet, anyway."

Astrid glanced between Hiccup and Adrianna for a moment before putting her hands on her hips. "This is stupid," she said, "you two adore each other and this has gone on long enough. Both of you. I won't have this tension in my house. I won't have Erick telling us important, crucial details of either of my children's lives anymore just because you've been too stubborn or proud to admit there's a problem."

Hiccup turned around to face Adrianna again and Adrianna was startled to see his eyes glistening with tears. She felt like someone had closed a fist over her heart and squeezed.

"I never meant to hurt you." She whispered, her voice too weak for a higher volume. "I just… you said once that if I let all this consume me, I'd end up alone and unloved and I just… I thought that meant there was a limit. That one day I'd screw up so much that there wouldn't be any more tolerance or forgiveness."

"Addie…"

"I th-thought I was a huge, massive burden, the w-way I let Erick's dad d-die and when Brandyn wanted t-t-to be with me, I thought he was s-serious. I thought that m-meant something. I didn't know h-he'd… I didn't… and n-now I've ruined everything." Adrianna's breaths came in gasps as a wave of tears streamed down her face. She buried her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking with the emotions she had suppressed for far too long. "I'm s-so unlucky. I've always b-been unlucky. Even the g-gods have been trying to make sure I died as a b-baby and then with Trista… and maybe th-this is why."

Hiccup was silent for a moment before gently pulling her hands from on front of her eyes. Adrianna knew her face must be red and splotchy but he looked at her so lovingly, she felt a wave of relief.

"I never meant it like that, Addie. Never." Hiccup swiped beneath her eye with his thumb. "And don't you _ever_ say you're unlucky. I have never once regretted saving you all those times, never once thought that life would be better if you had suffocated seventeen years ago. And you are _not_ a burden. If I ever made you feel that way, I'm sorry."

Adrianna wiped her eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears. Hiccup stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug, allowing her to bury her face in his chest and cry. He held open an arm for Astrid to step in, and Adrianna felt her mother join their embrace. They stood there for a few short minutes in silence; now that she was safe in her loving parents' embrace, she couldn't imagine wanting to leave again. But this moment couldn't last forever and the next conversation was inevitable.

Hiccup rested his forehead on the top of his daughter's head and asked, "Do you need food or water? When did you eat last?"

Adrianna stirred, ignoring Astrid's fingers brushing out her tangled hair. "I don't know."

"Well," Hiccup stepped back and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Why don't you go with your mom, change clothes, try to eat something. We'll talk more in a few minutes. Okay?"

Adrianna nodded in agreement, some relief showing in her eyes. Astrid led her to the next room where she'd brought an extra satchel of clothes for Adrianna. As soon as she saw the clothes her mother had picked out for her, she felt her eyes well up again.

"Come here." Astrid said, putting her arms around her daughter once more.

"I'm sorry," Adrianna cried, her voice squeaking.

"I know. We'll figure this out. But first let's get you dry and warm. One thing at a time." Adrianna nodded and stepped back, wiping her eyes again. She felt her hair with a cringe. "We'll draw a hot bath when we get home."

Pulling off her salty shirt, Adrianna sighed. "That sounds nice."

Astrid's smile was small as she hung up the shirt, turning her back to allow her daughter privacy. "I used to like hot baths too..."

She tapered off. Adrianna swallowed hard, finishing the sentence on her own. When _she_ was pregnant.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Adrianna quickly finished changing and wrapped a thick wool blanket around herself. Instantly, she felt warmer. "Ooooh..." She snuggled deeper under the blanket.

Astrid smiled gently. "Better?"

"Mhm."

"I'll go get some bread and water."

"Kay."

Astrid walked out of the room and gently shut the door behind her. Adrianna looked around, fully taking in her surroundings for the first time. It was a tiny bedroom, not even big enough for Lily to stick more than her head in, but, had things gone the way she'd planned, it might have been where she slept every night. Especially if Camicazi hadn't been as accommodating as she thought. Would she have had to give birth in this room if no one would accept her? The idea was terrifying to say the least.

Her mother returned with some bread and water. Suddenly ravenous, Adrianna didn't even try to be ladylike.

"Slow down," Astrid said quietly as she tried to hang her daughters sopping wet boots. "You need to keep it down."

Adrianna bobbed a shoulder, feeling awkward and discouraged. "Yeah..."

Astrid looked at her daughter for a moment before smiling fondly. "It gets better." Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "You feel like everything on your inside wants to be on your outside right now. That's okay. Give it a few months and you won't be able to eat enough."

Adrianna groaned. "Then I'll be fat."

Astrid laughed when there was a knock at the door and her father asked, "Is everybody decent in there?"

Astrid flung the door open with a raised eyebrow. He hid a smirk and pulled a chair inside, gently closing the door behind him. Adrianna felt Astrid sit down next to her.

It was very quiet in that little room, the occasional footsteps on deck breaking the silence every so often. Adrianna stared into her cup of water and, out of the corner of her eye, she could see Hiccup staring at a point just over her head, deep in thought.

Finally, he spoke. "I need you to tell us what happened. Take as much time as you need to and as far back as you can think of. We need to know..."

"Everything?" Adrianna asked weakly.

"Yes. I need to hear it from you and... so I can know how to... deal with him later."

Adrianna's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Hiccup shook his hands gently. "Don't worry about that. Let's just focus on you right now."

Adrianna thought back to the first time Brandyn had kissed her. She was sure her parents didn't want to know of every little touch shared between them. She didn't know when exactly Brandyn had decided that he wanted more from the relationship.

Fiddling with her cup, she finally said, "A few months back, we... um..." She felt a blush rise up her neck. They hadn't made out often; she certainly never talked about it.

"We were kids once, Adri," Astrid said encouragingly. "We kissed plenty ourselves." Hiccup spared her mom a glance before looking back at her.

"We didn't really... make out often. Kisses were shared now and then. But... I remember this one time he was more... I don't know how to describe it."

Hiccup stiffened. "Eager?"

"Yeah," Adrianna nodded. "It was getting out of hand quickly and I said I wanted to slow down. But he said I was being boring and I had to trust him, that he had... _needs_ that I wasn't fulfilling."

Her dad's face turned stony and she swallowed hard. "And what did you say to that?"

Adrianna frowned. "I didn't really understand what he meant at first. But that wasn't the only time he brought it up before..." She stopped, staring at the floor. How was she going to say this? Anger bubbled in her chest at the memory. "He tricked me. Set up a barn all... decorated like a surprise date or something. But... he locked me in and-" A thought occurred to her, the story unfolding quicker than she could process. "well I told him about the kiss with Erick. He didn't sound upset, but he said the only way to make t up to him was to... do it." Her parents were stiff in their seats. "I told him again that I wanted to wait for marriage. And then he started to get... mad but... cruel. He just..." Adrianna huffed, wishing the various thoughts flying through her head would just come out easily and painlessly. What was strange was that this moment that she had revisited often in her dreams wasn't affecting her the way it usually was. Perhaps it was the relief of finally telling someone who could help. Or maybe she needed to just say the words. She wasn't sure. "I told him to stop and... he didn't."

"Take your time." Hiccup murmured.

The more she thought, the more angry tears welled in her eyes. She didn't know how she did it, but she finally managed to explain what happened. She told them everything, how Brandyn had chased her up the ladder, locked the doors, how she'd screamed for help and no one had come. How she'd begged him to stop and let her go, but he'd only _smiled_ and done with her what he wanted. She was numb by the time she finished the story, a burden fallen from her shoulders she didn't realize she'd been carrying. It felt nice to let it go. But now they knew. She looked up at her parents, studying their expressions and trying to gauge their emotions.

"I should have told you." she whispered. "But he threatened to hurt my friends if I did or... do it again. That's why Cliff got sick, he put something in his drink." Her stomach twisted in knots at the memory. Hiccup dropped his head into his hands, fisting his hair. She instantly knew what was coming. "Daddy, it's not your fault." He stiffened, his prosthetic squeaking. "It's not-"

"Why aren't _you_ crying?" Hiccup's head shot up, emotions bared on his face. Her heart broke for him in a second.

"I don't know. But it's not your fault."

Hiccup shook his head bitterly. "No. I was just off playing around in dragon races when he was playing around with _you_."

Astrid stood and began to pace, her hands roaming from her braid to her hips to crossing against her chest. Her face began to splotch as anger overtook her features. Adrianna glanced between her parents.

"If I ever get my hands on that piece of scum, I'll rip him to shreds!" Astrid suddenly growled.

Adrianna swallowed, unsure how to react to the outburst. Her dad only blinked, staring at her with sorrowful eyes.

He reached forward and held her face in his hands gently, like she might break. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Addie."

Adrianna leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. She hated hearing the apologies he continued to whisper, not because she blamed him, but because it wasn't his fault. He couldn't save her from everything; she had learned that a long time ago. She almost wished this could be the first traumatic experience she'd been through, but to an extent, this was what happened. Adrianna got hurt, dad felt guilty and blamed himself. She didn't want to go through this routine again. So she didn't blame him and allowed him to hold her tightly. She wanted to move on and figure out what to do next, but she still didn't want to lay the entire burden on him. He still didn't deserve that kind of stress. Regardless, she knew it was futile; he'd be stressed anyway.

"Now what?" She whispered in his ear.

Hiccup sighed heavily. "I don't know. We'll figure it out." He pulled back and stared at the floorboards. "I'm going to check on Lily, make sure that poultice is holding up. Why don't you get some sleep?"

Adrianna instantly felt drowsy, the last two days worth of exhaustion hitting her full force. She curled up on the sheets, allowing her dad to draw a second blanket over her. Astrid blew out the candle and opened the door. Hiccup bent over and kissed her forehead gently before following his wife out the door. She didn't fail to notice the hesitation in his step, as if he really didn't want to leave her alone.

As soon as the door closed, she allowed herself a heavy sigh and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Finn stared at the waves sloshing against the boat, twisting a piece of broken sail between his hands. After setting sail, he'd helped Snotlout, Horst and Gustav clean things up and fix the sails so they were more operable. Nearly an hour after leaving Rune behind, he'd run out of things to do and didn't feel like talking.

His parents had been downstairs with his sister the entire time. On the one hand, he wanted to hear what was going on. On the other, he wanted nothing to do with it. The last five hours of his life had been spent worrying over his sister's safety. Now that she was safe and they were well on their way home, he wasn't sure he could handle any more stress for the day, at least not voluntarily.

Zap lay on the deck next to Lily, whose leg was wrapped with thick cloth. He figured she'd be fine, but she wouldn't be able to walk very easily for a few days. The hardest part would be keeping her from scratching it.

Footsteps echoed on the stairs. Finn turned in time to see his dad step onto the deck, his face stony and pale. He walked over to Lily and checked the wraps, patting her on the leg wordlessly when she didn't fidget. Finn faced the water again when his father stood, not wishing to be caught staring and trying to gauge a reaction.

He was surprised when Hiccup stood beside him on the dock, arms crossed tight against the railing. Finn spared a glance. His dad stared at the water unblinkingly, his expression tight and melancholy.

They stood side by side for a few minutes, watching the waves and the stars twinkling above their heads. The other men stood on the other side of the ship while Horst steered, keeping their distance.

"So..." Finn quietly drawled, tossing the sail into the ocean. "What's the verdict?" Hiccup didn't reply, still staring at the ocean. Finn frowned, unsure how to take the silence. Silence, especially coming from his dad, made him nervous, and when he got nervous he shut down. He didn't want to shut this down; he felt like he needed to know something, at least how the conversation went. And he knew what happened when his dad bottled things up. They didn't need any more explosions today. "Dad." Hiccup stirred, shoving a hand through his hair. His brow was pinched in worry. "You've got to give me something. I don't..." Finn waved a hand around, fumbling. "I don't want details. I just don't know what's true or what's-"

"It's true." Hiccup said finally, voice low and hollow. "All of it is true."

Finn's heart plummeted. His sister had been raped. She was pregnant. And none of them had known.

Hiccup shoved his hands into his hair, shoulders shaking. Finn's heart twisted, hating how much his dad blamed himself for his kids' tortures, hating Brandyn for daring to _touch_ his sister, hating how helpless and fearful he felt inside because he could do nothing to make this better. The strongest man he knew was being reduced to tears, and he was completely speechless.

Finn reached over and slung an arm over his dad's shoulders, squeezing tight. There was nothing he could say.


	15. Transition

Erick couldn't sleep that night.

After pacing so much he nearly wore out the floor, he had a small dinner of a half stale loaf of bread and water before turning in early that night. Cliff had watched him, trying to read a book but obviously distracted. The boys had barely said two words to each other as the storm raged on that night.

Now, Erick was restless. He tossed and turned, trying to relax his mind enough to fall asleep so that morning would come faster and, with it, news. It was useless. Instead, he spent the night worrying and wondering if he would find out the next morning that his best friend had either died or disappeared completely.

Morning broke after hour after agonizing hour and Erick finally decided to get up and dress for work. He knew he would be early by several hours but he didn't care. Having something to do with his hands would be preferable to lying in bed listening to the Terrible Terrors chirping.

As he walked into the village, he felt the atmosphere change. He wasn't sure what it was but it felt… _different_ somehow. And not in a good way. Perhaps it was the fact that no one would look at him for longer than a second. Or perhaps he was being paranoid. After a sleepless night, he would need a cup of coffee from the Great Hall, even though he hated the stuff.

But the Great Hall was filled with the same uncomfortable vibe he had received the second he stepped out of his house. As he headed to the drink table, he felt many pairs of eyes on his back. Recklessness from his worry and resultant sleepless night tempted him to spin around and shout " _what_?" to the crowd. He resisted the urge with difficulty as he added sugar to his coffee.

"How _dare_ you show your face here," hissed a voice close behind him.

Erick jumped and nearly spilled his coffee. He turned around and was face to face with… his _mother_?

"What are you talking about?" he asked, feeling a growing unease.

"Everyone knows your secret, Erick. _Everyone_. How could you? What possessed you to do something so reckless, so inconsiderate, so… _disgusting_?"

"I don't know what you're-"

_SLAP!_

The sound reverberated around the hall. Erick felt a stinging sensation on his cheek as his mother shook off her hand.

"Don't play stupid, Erick Noah Larson! I didn't raise you to act like this."

"Okay, let's break this up."

Taryn had apparently come to his rescue. She put her hands on his upper arms while glaring daggers at Lara.

"He's leaving," Taryn said. "You don't have to slap him again."

Lara exhaled through her nose and stormed back to her group of friends, looking murderous.

"What's all this about?" Erick asked as Taryn steered him from the hall, clinging to his coffee.

"Outside," said Taryn.

"But-"

"Just come outside and I'll explain it." Taryn practically yanked Erick through the big double doors and into the woods next to the Hall.

"Okay, what's going on?" Erick asked, slightly peeved.

Taryn sighed, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "Erick, did you and Anna… do anything?"

"Define _anything_."

"Just… the weirdest rumor surfaced yesterday and it's all over Berk and I wanted to run it by you first because I think it's ridiculous." Taryn bit her lip. Erick had never seen her look so uncomfortable.

"Shoot."

"Well there's no easy way to ask this but is Anna… going to have a baby?"

Erick's stomach was twisting in knots. The whole town knew _something_ but he wasn't sure what was worse: that he and Adrianna had some illicit affair or the truth of how she _actually_ got pregnant. At this point, the truth seemed the best option.

 _I'm so sorry, Annie,_ he thought as he took a deep breath.

"It's half true." Erick sighed. "Annie's pregnant. But it's not mine."

Taryn stared at him, mouth agape. It felt like Erick had betrayed Adrianna all over again.

Finally, she spoke. "What?"

Erick rubbed the back of his neck. "Well it's kind of a long story…"

"Well, start from the beginning!" Taryn said calmly; she was taking this a lot better than he thought she would.

Erick sighed. "It shouldn't have happened at all."

Taryn took a step forward, her shocked expression melting into a compassionate one. "If Anna is pregnant, the truth will come out. Better to hear it sooner rather than later so I can help… spread it around."

Erick put his head in his hands. He felt decades older. "You're right. Gods, it's disgusting. The worst moment of Annie's life having to be outed so she can… so _we_ can avoid public humiliation." He swallowed thickly but his mouth still felt bone dry. "Brandyn didn't just disappear. Annie made him leave because he… he raped her."

Taryn's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my gods!"

"She didn't want to tell anyone. She didn't even tell me, and that's not why I punched him either. I suspected he was bad news but this? Never this. Nobody did, not even her."

"But… we knew him. How did we not see this?" Taryn frowned, apparently thinking back over the time Brandyn had been part of their little group.

"Worse." Erick mumbled.

"What could be _worse_?" she asked, though her expression made it clear that she did not want to know the answer.

"Remember when Cliff was poisoned? That was him too. He tried to silence her. Make sure she knew that if she told anyone what he did, someone she loved would pay."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. Taryn still had her hands over her mouth.

Erick crossed his arms so he wouldn't be tempted to fidget. "We couldn't have known-"

"That's the thing, Erick!" Taryn snapped, raising her voice for the first time since they had started speaking. "We _all_ thought Brandyn was… _strange_ around her! Things like that shouldn't happen here."

"I know!" Erick said through gritted teeth, trying to shut her down, at least for now. "No one blames themselves more than her family! But we can't get too emotional about this. That's the last thing they need right now."

Taryn quieted for a moment. She crossed her arms. "So now what?"

"Now we wait." Erick said softly. "Wait for her to come back or… or news."

"Why did she leave?" Taryn ventured timidly.

"She thought Hiccup and Astrid would want her to. I guess she didn't want that conversation with them." Erick looked down at his shoes. "I have no idea if they found her but I hope they did because… never mind."

Taryn looked at him in a compassionate manner before putting her arm around his shoulders. "It's been a long night for you, hasn't it?"

"The longest." Erick mumbled. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm going to Magnus's. She should be set straight too before this gets even _more_ out of hand."

Erick shuffled off, hands in his pockets. He didn't think he could possibly feel worse than he had last night. But, as was typical of his life, he felt like he had been kicked in the stomach once more. Looking upward at the sky, he silently prayed that nothing _more_ would happen.

* * *

Adrianna felt a tightness in her stomach as the shores of Berk appeared on the horizon. Having napped and eaten, she did feel quite a bit better, but that didn't stop her insides from squirming at the thought of returning home. She knew that she would be a pariah before long; an outcast in her own home if people didn't find out the truth about how this whole mess had begun.

But, she reminded herself, no one knew about it yet. Small comfort. But a comfort nonetheless. She wandered forward and leaned against the side of the ship, sighing deeply.

"You okay?" Hiccup asked, joining her next to the side.

"Anxious," said Adrianna. "A part of me thinks I had the right idea all along."

Hiccup reached over and put a hand on her back. "You'll be fine. I promise."

"You can't promise that."

"Funny, because I just did." Hiccup rubbed her back once, looking at her with a partial smile. "We'll figure it out. We always do. Even if we stumble through a lot of the time."

"This is a baby." Adrianna's gaze flitted to her stomach. "It's not like anything we've gone through. Usually we have one _less_ person when crap happens, not one more."

Hiccup pulled her close to him as Berk's horizon came into clearer view. "I still think we're going to be okay."

"I hope so." Adrianna rested her head against Hiccup's upper arm.

As they watched Berk approach, Adrianna marveled at the fact that, somehow, she wasn't seasick. Given the amount of nausea she had suffered beforehand, this was a welcome change. Perhaps it was a sign of the gods that things would be okay. That life would continue normally, or as normally as it could with a baby on the way.

As soon as they docked, Adrianna realized just how very wrong she was.

She thought the few fishermen she saw were just in exceptionally sour moods as she stepped off the gangplank. Hiccup and Astrid walked alongside her up to the village, their hands on her back in a protective manner. As soon as the little village came into view, Adrianna felt like shriveling up and dying right there.

The looks she received were like none she'd ever seen before. Parents picked up their young children and carried them away. Shopkeepers' expressions soured and locked onto her like she'd grown a hideous extra head. Lara Larson looked downright scandalized.

"I don't like this." Adrianna mumbled, faltering slightly.

Astrid frowned. "Me neither."

They walked through the town in near silence. It was like someone had pressed a button and removed all sound from the town, save for a few twigs snapping at elevated volume beneath Toothless's feet.

As they approached the hill leading to their house, they caught sight of Erick and Cliff bolting over from what appeared to be in front of Magnus's house. Erick reached them first and threw his arms around Adrianna.

"You're back." he breathed, more to himself than to her. "Thank Thor."

Adrianna found herself tearing up, much to her irritation. "'M fine." she muttered. "I'm sorry for running off."

"You're okay?" he asked softly.

"Fine." Adrianna definitely didn't feel like talking but feeling his racing heartbeat under his shirt made her feel extremely guilty.

Erick finally let go, rubbing her upper arm in a comforting manner before turning to her parents.

"We've got a problem."

"Joy," said Hiccup shortly.

Astrid gave her husband a look before looking back at Erick. "What's the problem?"

"It'll take a while to explain." Cliff said, speaking up at last. "Might want to head home for this."

"I think you've done enough." Hiccup gave them an entirely uncharacteristic scowl before pushing past them, his arm clamped around his daughter's shoulders.

The four remaining watched as Hiccup and Adrianna ascended the hill for a while, all rather lost for words.

"Better get this over with." Erick mumbled before leading them toward the Haddock home.

* * *

"You're kidding."

"I wish I were."

"Well this has been a _fantastic_ week then."

Hiccup paced back and forth on his porch, the news of the rumor still fresh in his mind.

Astrid watched him for a moment before speaking up. "How did the news get out?"

Erick shrugged. "I have no idea. And I _really_ don't know how people thought _I_ did it."

"We didn't tell anyone." Cliff piped up. "Honest, Chief. I didn't say a word."

"I hate to say it but I believe you." Hiccup said through gritted teeth. "If you'd blabbed, at least the story would be more accurate."

Erick had a sudden urge to voice a sarcastic remark but he swallowed it. No need to make Hiccup even _angrier_. Hiccup continued pacing for a few seconds more before stopping and running his hands through his hair.

"I can't deal with this right now," he sighed. "I, uh… I just want to tend to my daughter. She's more important right now. I'll deal with this later, when I know she's okay."

"Go get Mara." Astrid told the boys. "Adri hasn't been examined yet and we should make sure she's really okay."

Hiccup swallowed thickly but nodded in agreement.

They watched the boys leave the house and walk down the well-worn path for a few seconds before Hiccup grasped the doorknob. He followed Astrid inside and before the door even closed, Adrianna's voice broke the silence.

"What happened?"

Hiccup saw her standing at the foot of the stairs in new, more comfortable clothes. Her question flew out of his mind. His baby girl was pregnant. She was probably cold, which is why she was wearing her favorite woolen pants and sweater and slippers over her socks. She was looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer to her question, and all he could see was his baby girl standing on the stairs like she always had, waiting for him. His heart twisted inside his chest.

"It doesn't matter," He gently ushered her back up the stairs, Astrid brushing past them to quickly clean up her room.

"Yes it does. They didn't sound okay." Adrianna insisted. "If something happened when we were gone, then we need help-"

"Addie. Please." Hiccup said quietly, hugging her to his chest. He held her there, trying to stay together and convince himself that she was alright. They'd found her, she was home now. It did nothing to calm the pounding in his chest. "You're the only thing that's important right now."

"I'm not the only person here." Adrianna mumbled.

Hiccup kissed her temple and sighed. "You are to me. I'll tell you later, but not right now."

"Okay..."

A knock at the door sounded and Hiccup stepped back, holding his hands on her shoulders. "I'll be right back."

Adrianna watched him nervously, which made his chest hurt. He hated seeing her nervous, almost as if she knew what was coming. "Who is it?"

Hiccup turned and walked down the stairs. He wordlessly let Mara inside, who stood on the threshold with a concerned expression.

"Hiccup, tell me it isn't true."

Hiccup gritted his teeth, fighting the emotions rampaging in his chest. His response only came through a whisper. "It was Brandyn."

Mara held his eye for nearly a minute before understanding washed over her face. She held out her arms and pulled him into a tight hug. Hiccup swallowed hard, still fighting his emotions.

After a moment, Mara pulled back, her expression firm. "All right?"

Hiccup nodded.

"Alright. Let's see then." Mara walked up the stairs, but halfway up, Hiccup found his voice.

"Mara, how did you get here so fast?"

"I was on my way over and then Erick flew me the rest of the way on Charger." Hiccup nodded and began to follow her up the stairs. "It might be best if you remain downstairs," Mara instructed.

Hiccup paused and nodded in agreement. He watched Mara disappear upstairs and heard quiet voices before his daughter's bedroom door closed. Feeling a bit lost, he turned and sat down on the couch. However, within a minute he was pacing around the room again as he waited for the women to return.

The front door suddenly opened and Finn swept in, pushing the door closed with his back and sighing heavily.

He looked over, exhaustion all over this face. He glanced upstairs and seemed to know what was happening.

Hiccup noticed the dried blood covering his son's new suit. "Need help washing that?"

Finn looked down and straightened. "Oh. No, that's okay. I'll do it later."

Hiccup nodded and silence overtook the house again. He could hear Finn breathing from the doorway and could tell he was uncomfortable and unsure.

Nearly a minute later, Finn asked, "Should I leave?"

Hiccup shrugged. "It's up to you, Finn. It would probably be best if you... heard the results."

Finn nodded. "Did you hear about... the rumor?"

"Yes."

"I guess we'll deal with that later then."

"Yeah."

It seemed like an eternity before finally Adrianna's door opened and Astrid and Mara came downstairs. Astrid moved into the washroom and called Stormfly in from outside to help heat the water. Mara waited patiently for her to return before speaking.

"I believe she's around six weeks along."

Air blew past Finn's lips as he looked away. Hiccup equally felt the air squeeze out of his chest. "She seems to be alright though. A little cold and I want her consistently drinking and eating more, even if it is difficult. She's a little malnourished. But if we keep an eye on her, everything should turn out alright."

"All right?" Finn turned with a sardonic smirk on his face. "How is _any_ of this all right?"

"Finn, please." Astrid said. "This is hard for all of us."

"Right. How selfish of me." Finn walked across the room, snatching a shirt out of a basket of unfolded laundry and pushed out the back door.

"Give him time," Mara said. "While his feelings are important, he's not the priority right now."

Hiccup inhaled and exhaled shakily. "So what do we do now?"

Mara gave him a small smile. "You have a baby. This will be difficult and hard to deal with, but luckily she has two loving, experienced parents, good friends who care about her. Everything will be all right."

Soft footfalls padded from the upstairs before Adrianna came down, wrapped in a robe and carrying a towel. She ignored eye contact as she ducked into the washroom and closed the door firmly behind her.

Mara lowered her voice. "I'll come by to talk to her more tomorrow. We need to make sure she rests plenty the next few days to recollect her strength." The parents nodded as she grabbed her things and moved toward the door. "One day at a time, Haddocks. One day at a time."

The house was silent for a few minutes before Astrid slumped with a heavy sigh. She looked mentally and physically exhausted. Hiccup watched her, wanting to say something but unsure if anything he could say would make a difference.

She looked up at him and held out her arms, longing for a hug. Hiccup pulled her into his chest, allowing her to wrap her arms around him tightly. No words could be said. They could only grieve together for their failed efforts to protect their daughter's innocence.

* * *

"I hate Mondays."

"'ey Vidar?"

"Yeah?"

"Today's Thursday."

"Oh... meh."

On any normal day, Finn might have found this exchange between his mentor and young trainee humorous. Not today. Instead, he scowled and continued sharpening his pile of dull weapons.

Finn also wished the week would end. A tightness in his shoulders had appeared late last night from all the stress he'd endured the last day. He could only imagine what his parents were feeling.

Less than twenty four hours ago he'd left Berk with his parents on a hunt to find his sister. After hours of paranoid flight, especially after finding the ship remains in the ocean, they'd tracked her to his second least favorite island in the Archipelago: Rune.

He couldn't believe it. Rune. _Rune_! Of all the places she had to go... Even if it was an accident, what would possess her to even set foot on that island? She should have turned tail and fled while she had the chance. There were plenty of foul people in that place. She should have known what might happen, especially given her... condition.

The idea blew his mind. His sister was... pregnant? Never in his wildest dreams (and he'd had some pretty wild dreams) did he ever think his sister would be pregnant before she was married. She'd always wanted to be a mom, though obviously not like this. The idea made his stomach twist in knots and his expression tighten in anger.

One day he'd find Brandyn and make him pay for this. Finn hadn't felt this kind of wrath since Erick turned him in for the gang. That kind of wrath had been completely unjustified—he'd been way out of line. But this... The idea that Brandyn had played them all for fools and stepped way over the line by ever touching his sister made him sick. But the reality was this: He'd worked with Brandyn every day, standing in this exact same spot, goofing off and throwing jokes and rags at Gobber and wrestling in the back room, and Finn, in all his stupidity and cluelessness, bought into all of it like they were real friends-

The sword he was sharpening slipped across the stone wheel and sliced down his wrist. Finn bit back a curse and dropped the sword, holding his arm to his chest with heavy breaths. He didn't need to look down to see the damage; blood was already soaking through his shirt.

"Alright, lemme see," Gobber hobbled over.

Finn stepped back with a growl. "I'm fine."

"Now see here," Gobber said sternly. "You're bleeding like an overturned yak trough. Let me see." Finn huffed and held out his arm. "Vidar, hand me the cleanest rag you can find."

Vidar bustled around the shop for a minute before running back, a white cloth in his hands. He stared up at Finn with wide eyes, glancing between his face and his bleeding arm.

Gobber swiftly wrapped the wound as tightly as the fabric would allow. "Right then. Go to Mara's, get that stitched up, then take the rest of the day off."

"What?" Finn asked incredulously. "There's too much work to do!"

"Aye, and I can't have yeh losin' limbs because you're too stressed to focus."

"It's just a scratch, Gobber."

"Tell that to your shirt." Gobber pointed. "Listen lad, you've been glaring at everyone and everything all day. Just get your arm taken care of and then take some time for yourself."

"But-"

"Don't worry about it, Finn." Vidar piped from his smaller sized anvil. He looked like a super small Snotlout with his dark hair sticking out in all directions and lopsided grin. "Maybe we'll work double time and you won't have to come to work tomorrow either!"

Finn frowned, unsure. Finally he huffed, pressing his arm to his chest. "Fine."

"Atta boy. Get to Mara's quick now."

"Yeah yeah..."

Finn stalked into the sunlight and crossed the square toward Mara's house, muttering under his breath as he went. Glancing down at his arm, he winced. Blood was already soaking the cloth. He waited for a cart and a couple Nadders to move past before he finally made it to the door.

He closed the door with his boot and looked around. Most of the interior doors were closed; Mara's medicine cabinet was open in the corner where she kept most of her supplies. A rustling movement caught his eye before Inga emerged from the back room, wiping her hands on her pants. She paused, her eyebrows shooting to her hairline.

"Gods, what happened to you?"

"Ah... sword." Finn frowned. "Is Mara here?"

"Nope," Inga waved him forward. "The Blake children have the flu, so she went to give them medicine. I can look at it."

Finn walked over to the work area, looking at all the labeled bottles of medicine in the cabinet. He vaguely noticed his boots interrupting the quiet of the room. "Are you sure?"

"Of course, when am I ever _not_ sure?" Inga smirked and pulled him into a chair from the back of his shirt. "Let me see."

Holding out his arm, Finn watched as Inga cut away the cloth and inspected the cut. Fresh blood dripped out onto the protective cloth layer on the table.

"Wow. That's a good four inches."

"Yeah..."

"At least it's a straight cut." Inga said, quickly washing her hands and getting a needle and thread. "Easy fix."

"Have you done this before?" Finn asked, ignoring his bloodied forearm.

"Why Finn, I never knew you to be so fearful!"

"What? I'm not afraid."

"We should get that name changed as soon as possible."

"Hey-"

"Also, doubting my abilities. Rude. Where would you be without me right now?"

"Would you shut up?"

"You'd be bleeding to death on the front porch, that's where."

Finn laughed, allowing her to turn his palm up so she could begin the stitching process. Inga's smirk wobbled, like she was fighting laughter herself. "One day, you'll be the death of me."

"You know it." Inga grinned. "I'm the only one who can keep up with you."

He breathed an easy laugh, but inwardly he was surprised at the truth in the statement. Not many people could match Finn in wit and sarcastic humor. Excluding his family, the only other person he could think of was Brandyn...

His smile fell and he looked at the floor while Inga stitched his arm. She noticed his change of mood, glancing up at him concernedly.

"So how'd this really happen?"

Finn raised an eyebrow. "I told you. Sword."

"Yeah, but working out with it or working with it?"

"Slipped on the sharpener."

Inga nodded, her lips in a perfect "o" shape. "Nice."

"I wasn't paying attention."

"Hm..." Inga hummed.

Finn decided to watch her work, ignoring the stinging pain of the needle piercing his skin around the cut and focusing on her hands. With a jolt, he noticed how small her hands and arms were compared to his. He had to remind himself that she was only thirteen. It was a strange realization; she felt older, somehow.

He stole a look at her just in time to catch her sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. Her hair had grown out again too. He remembered when the fire had erupted near her home and she'd barely escaped with her life. She hadn't had one of her episodes since that day actually.

"You're scowling."

Finn blinked. "Yeah. Been doing that a lot lately."

"Why? Smiles look nicer on you."

Finn dodged the flirty comment. He doubted she even realized just how flirty she could be. For most of their lives, they'd always teased and mocked each other and said stupid things. Now that he was older, he wondered if he was seeing a deeper meaning in her words, or if she was actually being obliviously obvious?

Instead, he sighed. "A lot on my mind I guess."

"Like your sister?"

Finn didn't reply, watching her work.

"Is it true then?"

He didn't know what to say, so he just nodded. He didn't see her expression; this time, he was too afraid to look.

"Wow... So was it... Um..." Inga paused.

"It wasn't Erick, if that's what you're going to ask."

"Oh," Inga sighed in relief, her shoulders slumping. "Good. I mean... it sounded preposterous when I heard it. The idea. Psh." She paused, thinking. "Wait, but that means... Brandyn?"

Finn shifted in his chair, fighting a scowl. He didn't want to get angry in front of Inga. Not right now. "Yeah..."

Inga frowned, finally pausing mid-stitch. "What's wrong? I mean... it's obvious but..."

He wanted someone to talk to. He couldn't face Adrianna right now; his parents were

either confused or ready to torch the island; the last person he wanted to talk to was Erick. He needed to trust somebody.

"Inga, he... he raped her."

Inga's eyes widened in shock. Finn shook his head and pushed his free hand into his hair, leaning into his palm. He didn't know if he wanted to yell or cry. He had too many emotions bottled up, which he knew was bad, but he didn't even know how to process all of this information. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to curl into a ball in his bed and hide under the covers. He wanted to chop every tree down in the woods and he wanted to fly away on Zap until all his worries went away.

But none of that would make it go away.

Inga's hand wrapped around his, careful of the thread still in his arm. "I'm sorry. Do you need anything?"

Finn looked up at her through his bangs. He probably looked like a kicked puppy but he couldn't mask his feelings anymore. "Just... someone to talk to."

The warmest, most compassionate smile stretched across Inga's face. "That I can do. Whenever you need me."

Clenching his jaw and swallowing hard (he would not cry), Finn nodded and squeezed her hand. "Thanks."

Inga nodded and finished stitching his arm. Tying off the thread and putting all the bloodied items in a bowl, she quickly cleaned her hands and brought back alcohol and some more cloths.

"This is the worst part."

"Ah great..." Finn frowned. He hissed through the pain, but had to admire her handiwork. He snorted, rolling his eyes.

Inga raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I was just admiring your handiwork."

Inga frowned in confusion before giving him a long suffering sigh. "You're almost as bad as Cliff."

"Don't tell him I made a pun or he'll go insane." Finn smiled.

"Nah," Inga sniffed. "I like the sound of silence. It will be our little secret."

"How generous of you."

Inga quickly wrapped his wrist with white cloth and closed it with a few pins. "Okay, you won't be able to use that for work for at least eight to ten days."

Finn gaped. "Eight to ten? Not like... three or four?"

Palms up, Inga shrugged. "Not my fault you had to be stupid."

He sighed heavily. "I guess you're right... Man, I am going to be bored..."

"Think of it as a nice vacation."

"Not my thing."

"You'd be surprised how nice they can be."

"Ha, yeah. I've had enough surprises for a lifetime I think."

Inga nodded in agreement. "So where did you guys find her?"

Finn scowled, gingerly flexing his fingers in the cast. "Rune."

"Wow... Why did she go there?"

"I guess she was trying to get to Bog."

"Wrong direction."

"I know. The storm blew her off course." Finn said, looking down. "I hate that place."

Inga remained quiet for a moment, a curious expression on her face. Like she wanted to ask a question but was afraid to say it out loud.

"What?" He asked inquisitively.

"Why do you hate Rune?" Inga asked slowly.

Finn blinked in surprise. "You don't know?"

"I don't know, I... I have a few guesses." Inga shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "I never wanted to ask because if I'm right... well, I know you wouldn't want to talk about it if I was right."

So she didn't know the details after all. Their parents being lifelong friends, Finn always assumed that the Jorgensons knew about his past enslavement. He felt appreciative that they hadn't shared that information with their children.

"I don't talk about it." Finn agreed quietly, looking at the floor. "That's... that's where..." He'd never talked about this with anyone outside his parents, including Benen. Especially Benen. Not Helga or Erick or Cliff or even his sister. Carrying a burden like this was exhausting and he'd never trusted a friend with this before. He wasn't sure about his feelings with Inga yet, but he did want to trust her as a friend. "That's where they made me a slave."

Blue eyes locked on blue. He wasn't sure what to expect: confusion, shock, pity. Inga's eyebrows furrowed for a second before she nodded, almost like a confirmation.

"How did you know?"

She shrugged. "I didn't. I just kind of... figured it out. And-" Inga stopped talking, twisting her fingers in her lap.

"What?"

"There's... there's a long scar on the back of your neck." Inga said quietly. "I always wondered how you'd gotten it. I asked Adrianna about it a while back and she said not to ask. But it wasn't good."

Finn rubbed the back of his neck, feeling for a scar. He could feel it moving diagonally across his skin. Inga probably didn't know that it ended a few inches under his shirt. Many of the scars had faded over the years. But a few stripes still marked his body from Ratri's cane.

"I'm sorry," Inga blurted. "I shouldn't have asked."

"It's okay," Finn said honestly. "Really. I... I haven't talked about it with anyone since Benen."

"Was he...?"

"Yeah. He was a slave most of his life."

"Most people thought so." Inga smiled a little. "Even with all that, he was still a good man."

Finn smiled. "Yeah, he was." He'd never stopped missing the sweet old man. There was a great amount of compassion and kindness that flowed from his warm smile and twinkling blue eyes. Weathered skin and fraying hair couldn't slow him down; he'd had too much work to do. The best part was that he did it of his own free will.

Freedom. Finn tried not to take that for granted. He'd experienced the world's cruelty. He never wanted to experience that again. But his heart twisted even more for the people out there who weren't as lucky as he was. How many men, women and children were being subjugated to that kind of inhumane cruelty without even a day of freedom? The thought overwhelmed him.

"Right before we left Rune with Anna," Finn said quietly. "I saw the man who sold me."

Inga's brow furrowed, lips puckered with distaste.

"He was talking to a couple little boys down the street." Finn's lip curled in disgust, remembering the image from the day before. "He was still wearing that purple coat with his money bags tied to his belt, talking to those kids in that false cheerful voice... Probably offering them food and shelter... just to drag them off to the nearest slave ship."

The room was quiet, images flashing in his mind in the silence. He blinked and looked up at Inga, who was staring at him.

"I wish I could do something, Inga." Finn whispered. "But I'm still just a kid. I can't do anything for them."

Inga leaned forward and flicked his wrapped arm.

"Ow..." Finn pouted.

"Not yet, you can't." Inga said firmly. "But maybe someday you can round up every slave trader and free every single slave."

Finn laughed under his breath. "I'll be old and gray before every single slave is freed."

Inga smiled and shrugged. "Then let your kids carry on the mission. Let that be your legacy. Nobody should live every day of their life in submission to evil people like that, especially when they can't help themselves. So they need someone strong and smart to help them."

"I can't really help them though." Finn said. "I'm physically strong, but that's not going to help them. Ending slavery would probably take a war! I don't have the man power for that. How could I possibly force slave traders to stop?"

Inga frowned in thought. "Maybe you don't need to force them to do anything. Maybe all you need is someone to inspire the people who've been enslaved. Someone who understands what it's like to be them. Maybe that's all it would take for them to rise up and take their freedom back. I mean... if slavery is as big as you think it is, then there would have to be some serious numbers, right?"

"Yeah, but... a lot of those slaves are kids, Inga. Not everyone is fit for battle, especially when they live every day being abused. And I don't know where we'd find someone to lead them."

Inga raised her eyebrow at that.

"What?"

"I was referring to you when I said that."

He stared at her in surprise. "Me?"

Inga blinked and sat back in her seat. "At least, that's what I'd tell you to do. Ya know, if you wanted my insight."

Finn felt his chest swell in a way he couldn't place. He still didn't think he'd ever be able to help the slaves. That task seemed insurmountable. But the confidence instilled in Inga's voice was a little more than inspiring. She was genuinely confident that he could do something one day.

"You really think so?"

Inga nodded. "You may be a complete bonehead sometimes, but... people listen to you. You're a lot like your dad."

Finn leaned forward on the table. "Yeah?"

"Don't let it go to your head, stupid. You've got a long way to go before you're as awesome as him."

"Ouch," Finn gasped, a hand to his chest. "You wound me."

"See? Bonehead."

"I am not!"

"I've been too nice in this conversation. Clearly you can't handle it."

"I quite enjoy it actually."

Inga's eyes widened in surprise for a moment as she floundered for a comeback. Finn laughed, loving it when he could catch her off guard.

"Oh, go jump off a cliff Fearless Finn!"

"Can I take Zap with me?"

"Absolutely not!" Inga snapped.

Finn didn't know why he did it, but he suddenly reached out with a finger and poked her in the ribs, making her jump. Her chair screeched against the floorboards in her haste to back away.

He couldn't fight the grin. "Is somebody ticklish?"

"Don't. You. Dare." Inga whispered dangerously. "Or I will hack off your arm with a paring knife and forbid everyone on this island from giving you a prosthetic and everyone will call you Stumpy!"

Finn covered his mouth with a hand to keep in the snickers. "Stumpy?"

"I believe we have a new nickname for you: Finn the Stumpy."

"You are truly a terrible person!" Finn grabbed a roll of cloth and threw it at her.

Inga caught it effortlessly and pointed at him. "Hey, I worked hard on those stitches! Don't tear them!"

"If I did, I'd have more of a reason to stick around though."

Her eyes widened in surprise, once again caught off guard and one comeback short.

Finn smiled innocently. "Right? Come on, you clearly enjoy my company."

Inga narrowed her eyes and threw the roll of cloth. It bounced off his forehead and rolled across the floor. "You're not allowed to use yourself as a weapon against me."

"Why?"

"Because it's not fair."

"Why?"

"Because- you can't just- shut up Finn!"

Finn grinned, turning towards the front door as it swung open. He waved at Mara with his bad hand as she stepped inside. Inga nearly jumped out of her chair.

"Mara! You're back!"

"Hi Mara," Finn waved again.

"What happened to you, Finn?"

"Cut myself on a sword."

"Good job." Mara hung up her bags and turned toward Inga, who was suddenly scurrying around the room. "Inga, did you finish those poultices?"

Inga turned sheepishly. "I... Uh... No. I guess I got distracted after... after stitching him up."

Mara raised an eyebrow, glancing at Finn.

Finn winced and stood. "Sorry. I should have left a while ago."

"No, it's ok-" Inga stopped, as if remembering her boss had returned and was standing right beside her. "Um... It's cool! Now am-scray so I can catch up!"

Finn snickered. "Okay. See you later, Inga."

"Wait," Mara said as he reached the door.

He turned back with a surprised look. Inga didn't stop pulling jars and bowls out of the cabinets.

"How many stitches?"

"Five," Inga said as she worked, grinding up spices. "There was one more than I thought he needed."

"So you won't be working for almost two weeks." Mara instructed.

Finn nodded. "Yeah, that's what Inga said."

"So in the meantime, why don't you come by in the mornings and we can teach you a thing or two about healing?" Mara asked.

"What?" Finn and Inga asked together.

"Oh sure," Mara nodded, turning and pulling more bowls out of a cabinet. "You'll be chief one day and it would be wise to know more than general healing skills. Don't you think?"

Finn nodded in agreement, surprised at the offer. Why was Mara doing this?

"Besides," Mara smiled. "If you'll be coming around more often anyway, then I suppose it would be easier to keep an eye on you."

Inga tensed at the cabinet, her arms slowing to a stop.

Finn frowned, puzzled. "Because of the stitches?"

Mara's smirk was devilish. "Both of you."

The deeper meaning behind her words hit him square in the chest. Mara thought he liked Inga and that's really why he'd come here today? Sure, he'd really needed stitches but did she think that he'd start coming by every day just so he could talk to Inga more often? Did she think he cut himself on purpose?

Inga's eyes were wide as she stared at her boss. "You... want him to work here?"

"Like I said, if he's going to come by and distract my employee, then he might as well learn a thing or two."

"I really didn't-"

"-just needed stitches, Mara!"

"-isn't really necessary-"

"-embarrassing!"

Finn felt his face go up in flames as he and Inga talked over each other. Mara finally laughed and waved her arms in the space between them.

"Finn, just come by tomorrow and we'll see what we can do. Alright?"

"Um... okay?"

"Good! Off with you then!"

Inga looked mortified. "But Mara-"

"Now Inga, you've been whining about wanting a co-worker for ages. Now," Again, Mara's smirk was so evil, Finn could swear she'd planned this all along. "You've got one."


	16. Tension

The space between Erick's eyebrows gave a twinge as a headache began to bloom. He'd come to work early to avoid as many watching eyes as possible. Now, nearing mid-afternoon he could feel the exhaustion creeping up on him that only another sleepless night could bring.

His thoughts were on Adrianna almost constantly. He wanted to fly to her house and see how she was doing and make sure she was resting from her rough trip. He wanted to know what had happened out there; why the ship she'd stolen was in shambles, why Lily had come home injured from what looked like a dragon fight, why Finn had copious amounts of blood dried all over his flight suit…

Clearly something had gone down. But now, due to his own stupidity, he'd lost his privilege of barging into the Haddock household at any time to ask questions or see how everyone was doing.

Their doors had been open to him since he was a little boy. Especially since his father died. It had taken a long time for him to go to the Haddocks for help and support, but he'd come to lean on them almost like they were his own parents.

Now he'd have to learn how to go without. Astrid hadn't given him a second glance when she flew to the council meeting this morning, Finn had glared at him from the forge window like he was about to run out and knock his teeth out. But Hiccup…

They'd made eye contact from across the street when Erick and Cliff were on lunch break. The chief had stood there watching them with a flat expression and a judging eye before walking away. His very body language screamed, "Your fault. This is all _your_ fault."

Erick didn't want the Chief and his family to hate him. But honestly, what could he have done? He could have told them sooner and prevented Adrianna from running away, but what would that have changed? He hadn't saved her from being raped by that worthless pig. He hadn't protected her any more than Hiccup had. They'd all been duped. Except Erick.

Maybe that was why Hiccup felt justified in blaming Erick. He'd fought with Brandyn mere weeks ago over Adrianna's honor. The bruising around his eye was finally fading, the color returning to normal. But he still wore the bruises on his heart more than he wanted to admit.

For all that defending her honor and trying to protect her, Brandyn had already had his way. Brandyn had already hurt her. It didn't matter that Erick had known there was something fishy about him. He stood around and did nothing and assumed that all his bitterness and jealousy was petty and childish. He ignored all the bells going off in his head, every instinct to pull her away. He let his best friend, his _Annie_ get hurt.

That was why Hiccup hated him. And that meant that his Annie was no longer _his_.

"-completely ridiculous, I mean who bakes banana bread without chocolate chips? That's almost as depressing as your mom baking you chocolate chip cookies only to find out that, NEWS FLASH, they're oatmeal raisin? Are you kidding me? Chocolate should be integrated into everything baked! Baking, bakin'..."

Erick huffed, trying to tune Cliff out again. His friend had been rambling about nothing and everything for the last hour and he was almost at the end of his rope. His head pounded again.

"Bacon!" Cliff exclaimed, cutting off the momentary silence. "Ohhh bacon and chocolate. I wonder what that would taste like-"

"Cliff." Erick said meekly.

"I wonder what would happen if you baked bacon… baked bacon… what's bakin' bacon..." Cliff snorted.

"Cliff."

"That's stupid. What would happen if you baked bacon in a dessert? What kind of flavors would go with it, do you think?"

Erick twisted his hands into his hair, begging the gods for patience.

"You know what would be good? Maple syrup would be amazing with it, like, a bacon cupcake with maple and cinnamon, no. Maybe maple and brown sugar frost-"

"CLIFF."

His friend went quiet and Erick heard his chair squeak as he turned to look over his shoulder. He probably had that stupid confused face on like he'd forgotten he wasn't alone for the last hour.

Erick took a steadying breath. "I need a few minutes of quiet. Okay?"

Cliff must have nodded mutely, because he didn't reply. The gentle squeak of the chair was the only sound as quiet took over the space. Erick exhaled slowly and tried to soak in the silence. He probably looked as pitiful as he felt.

After a while, he took up his stitching again. The headache eased a bit with the silence, but he knew it was only a matter of moments until Cliff would probably start talking again. But alas, the sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence first.

"Alright boys, we haven't had a customer in over two hours," Horst said, wiping his oily hands with a towel. "Why don't you go ahead and take off early?"

"Okay!" Cliff jumped out of his seat. Clearly the last five minutes of silence had been agony for him. Erick vaguely wondered if he was being extra chatty today. Maybe that was a sign of stress for him?

Cliff gave him a short glance, seeing as he still hadn't moved out of his own chair yet, before ducking out of the room toward freedom. Almost instantly they heard him chatting away with some poor soul who probably didn't fancy their ear being talked off.

Erick sighed and rubbed his face, staring at his pile of work sitting beside his desk. "I really shouldn't leave early, Horst."

"You've been here since five," Horst pulled up a chair and sat down. "You're leaving early."

Frowning, his thoughts swept to Adrianna again. He wished he could see her. At least ask if she was alright, if she needed anything. If the baby was okay.

"Hiccup told the council everything." Horst said quietly. "It all makes sense now."

Erick nodded dimly, unsure what to say. Did Horst know what had happened outside of Berk too? He wondered if that was the first time Horst knew something about Adrianna before he did.

Horst seemed to hesitate, before inhaling.

Erick cut him off before he could say it. "I didn't touch Adrianna."

"I know," his mentor said gently, no accusation in his tone.

"People think-"

"It doesn't matter what people think, Erick. They will find out soon enough what really happened."

Erick shook his head and tossed his pencil to the table, sending it rolling underneath the saddle. "I'm almost willing to take the blame to spare her from that."

"That what?" Horst asked. "Shame? She didn't do anything wrong, Erick."

"Yes, I know that, but people won't see it that way!" Erick said in frustration, the entire day's anxieties flooding out his mouth before he could stop them. "They'll see it as weakness, just as they've always looked at her, like she's a stupid, insecure little thing that can't do anything right, not even protect herself from-" Erick stopped with wrathful exhale, irritated that his face flushed and eyes burned. "Nobody would listen to her anyway."

"Then why should it make any difference what people say?" Horst asked, stroking his beard calmly.

Erick shook his head, not knowing what else to say. He was so frustrated and tired and he wanted to help Annie, and he couldn't do _anything_.

Horst seemed to sense his growing frustration, and changed the subject. "Have you spoken to Hiccup?"

Erick twisted his shirt tail in his lap. "He won't even look at me."

"You need to talk to him."

"About what? How I didn't say anything to him while I had the chance?"

Horst raised a hand placatingly. "Erick, his daughter disappeared without warning. Again." Erick winced at the memory of her kidnapping at age three. "He was terrified that he'd never see her again. Then he found out she was pregnant? That another young man whom he trusted had _raped_ her? And _you_ didn't say anything to him. Erick, he has every reason to be upset about this."

"I know that!" Erick exclaimed.

"Then you can't ignore him," Horst said patiently. They're all going to need time to process, but you're a family. He's practically a father to you."

Erick sneered down at his prosthetic, the one that almost exactly matched Hiccup's with the exception of flightgear. "Yeah. Some son."

"Finn has made _plenty_ of mistakes. Big mistakes, too," Horst amended. "Hiccup will forgive you too."

"What if he doesn't?"

Horst smiled when he finally met his mentor's eyes. "He will."

The idea of going to find Hiccup to talk things out terrified him. Should he get on his knees and beg for forgiveness for not saying something sooner? He'd had his reasons, petty as they were. At least, they felt petty now.

Erick pushed a hand through his hair. "I don't even know what to say."

"The words will come," Horst stood and pulled him out of his chair. "Come on, I'll walk you to the Hall."

"Is he there?"

"He was heading to the library last I saw him," Horst said as they stepped into the sunlight. "I'll give you an escort."

Erick ducked his head, ignoring eye contact with everyone they passed. A few women whispered as they passed by and Erick sighed.

"Erick, you did nothing wrong," Horst murmured, catching his eye. "So don't give them a reason to gossip by looking guilty."

The words resonated with him. As embarrassing and horrifying as it was, he hadn't done anything wrong concerning Adrianna. So he did not need to hide from people or act like he was guilty.

Erick straightened his spine and matched Horst's pace as they weaved through the streets.

Standing inside the library doorway was probably the most nerve-wracking thing he'd had ever had to do. Hiccup was indeed working inside, as Horst had suspected. Whether the chief came here to work on paperwork on a regular basis, or to escape the current stresses and regular life problems, Erick didn't know. All he knew was that he needed to talk to his chief… his friend, his second father, and resolve the conflict between them.

And he had no idea what to say.

Matilda poked her head out from a nearby row and whispered, "Here to talk to the chief?"

Erick nodded mutely.

She pursed her lips and nodded to a few rows down. "He's just down there. Been here most of the day and has hardly said two words. He's usually pretty chatty when he comes in here."

Swallowing his fear, Erick shrugged. "It's been a long week."

"Is that so?" Matilda asked.

Erick fought the urge to frown. Matilda always did love to eavesdrop on conversations or ask innocent yet prying questions, just to stay in the know of village life.

An idea popped into his head and he pulled her down a familiar aisle. "Matilda, I heard Adrianna wasn't feeling well today so she's at home resting. Would you mind-"

"Bringing her a few books to keep her company? Of course!" Matilda gushed, instantly pulling books off the shelves. "What an excellent idea!"

"Oh but umm…" Erick grasped her elbow and touched his lips with a finger. "Hiccup might not like the idea of anyone disturbing her, so… our little secret?"

Matilda gave him a curious look before shrugging. "Our little secret." She bustled off to put the books in a bag before bidding the chief goodbye and marching out the door.

Erick breathed a sigh, hoping Hiccup wouldn't kill him for sending Matilda to his house, especially since he outright said she wasn't feeling well. He suddenly wondered if he shouldn't go back and tell Matilda to forget it, Adrianna probably had more books at home than she could count anyway…

But no, he _needed_ to talk to Hiccup in private before someone else grabbed his attention.

Steeling himself, Erick marched down the hallway in search of the chief.

He found Hiccup a few rows down, just as Matilda had said. He sat at a table covered in papers from left to right, a large satchel hanging off the edge of a chair. Toothless was curled up on the floor at the end of the table. The Night Fury cracked open an eye and huffed at him before going back to sleep. Hiccup didn't acknowledge his presence.

Erick ignored his pounding heart and walked over to the table, staying back a few paces. He hated this fear. He didn't want to be afraid of Hiccup, but he knew what the man could do when he was pushed too far. Hiccup couldn't be hiding away from the entire village if he wasn't one loose string away from snapping.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Erick stepped forward, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. "Hiccup… you can't ignore me forever."

Hiccup didn't even look up. The only telltale sign that he heard was his eyebrows creasing ever so slightly. Erick took another step forward.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for not telling you. Even though she asked me to keep it quiet, I should've said something to you and Astrid." Once the words had started, they came pouring out. "Like when I found Dana and Brandyn together, I didn't tell you and took it into my own hands. Here I thought it was different because she was directly asking me not to say anything. But I see now I should have told you regardless and I _am_ sorry, Chief."

Hiccup sat in stony silence, his charcoal pencil halting on the page. Erick waited for a few seconds for him to speak. When Hiccup began writing again and it became clear that he wasn't going to say anything, Erick turned away with a sad sigh.

"Do you know what upsets me the most?"

Erick paused, his shoulders stiffening. He slowly turned back, both curious and afraid.

Hiccup didn't look up from his papers as he continued. "The fact that I have literally put my life on the line for her and she still doesn't trust me." Piercing green eyes locked on his. "But she trusts _you_."

Shock coursed through Erick's system. He felt like Hiccup had punched him in the stomach. "I'm sorry."

Hiccup looked back at his papers, evidently determined to ignore him some more.

"I never meant to replace you."

Erick was surprised to hear Hiccup mutter next: "You'd think I'd be used to it by now. Not being important."

Despite Hiccup's dark, almost hostile tone, Erick felt indignant at the words. "You are important to her. She left because she didn't want to dis-"

Hiccup's head snapped up, some of that wrath coming out. "Disappoint me? When are you kids going to realize that I might have strong opinions and beliefs, but I would never look at my kids and call them a disappointment?"

Erick stood there in silence,

Hiccup pointed his pencil at him. "I grew up thinking that _I_ was a _disappointment_. A scrawny, useless kid that couldn't do anything right with no friends and no future because I figured my father would pick someone _else_ to be his heir."

Surprise had to be all over his face. Erick hadn't known that. To imagine Hiccup as anything but strong and useful and amazing was strange. Sarcastic, yes. Different, yes. Un-traditionally _not_ Viking, yes. But a disappointment?. Hiccup was about as un-disappointing as they came.

"If _I_ was good enough for my father in the end, who struggled to show love and compassion, why would I ever call my kids a disappointment?" Hiccup snapped. "Even after Finn tore this village apart with his bare hands, nearly got _you_ killed, said he hated me, took off never to come back and then sent his mother and I a _letter_ telling us he was going to kill himself, I _never_ -"

Hiccup stopped, anger melting away into pain. Hurt laced across his face. Toothless sat up from his spot on the floor to croon at his friend.

Erick shook his head. "Hiccup-"

"He was _never_ a disappointment to me." Hiccup's voice was softer. "Neither were you."

Erick could almost feel the blades against his wrists, the blood running down his arms at the memory.

"And neither is she." Hiccup said quietly, looking over at Toothless. The dragon twisted around and shoved his face into Hiccup's arms in comfort.

Erick nodded, taking a moment to think. "Why don't you tell her that?"

Hiccup sighed in resignation and released Toothless's head. He began to scoop papers into a pile as he said, "If you hadn't noticed, she doesn't listen to what I have to say. Why don't you tell her for me? Might make more of a difference."

Exasperation clawed up Erick's throat before he could help it. "Ahh, Hiccup, come on. You know that's not true. Maybe she struggles to believe it because…"

With a raised eyebrow, Hiccup stuffed his papers inside the satchel. "Because?

The young man shrugged. "I don't know, you don't give up easily but... Maybe you do when you're needed the most?"

The chief pursed his lips. "Thank you for summing that up."

Erick shrugged. "I don't know how to explain it. I can barely figure out my own feelings! That's why you should talk to her about you two and I can deal with my own... stuff."

"What stuff?"

"Like how to convince the village I didn't get your daughter pregnant, for one."

Hiccup winced. "Yeah."

Erick tapped his prosthetic against the floor anxiously for a minute. He chewed on the thought for a moment longer, hoping Hiccup (or Toothless) wouldn't claw his eyes out for saying it out loud. "Okay. Can I just be honest for a bit?"

Hiccup sighed. "Be my guest."

"I don't know why you're making this about you."

The chief's eyes narrowed. "What?

Erick gathered his courage. They needed to think of Adrianna first. "You heard me. You're making it about you when it's not. It's about your daughter being scared and pregnant and feeling more alone than she ever has in her life. How is that in any way about you? All of us have bent over backwards in some way for her and gotten hurt as a result. She's ignored all of us at some point out of spite or anger or just pure rejection. But we've all had to get over it and she's had to come to terms with the fact that people screw up! Some of us don't do things on purpose to hurt her!" Erick was rambling and he knew it. "But sometimes people _do_ do things on purpose and that's when she's most hurt. And that's when you step away. It's like you take her rejection, which is based on fear, personally! Maybe she came to me because she knew I wasn't going to blame myself for what happened and actually help her _do_ something about it."

"Except you didn't." Hiccup said sharply. "Which in turn, caused a whole slew of other problems."

Erick threw out his hands. "What could I do? Honestly, what could I do? I didn't know! Do you know? Other than tell somebody who could do something, I didn't have any clue what to do! It might have kept her from running away, but… we might still be sitting here having this conversation if I'd told you."

"You were completely unprepared for that kind of information."

"We all are," Erick stepped closer to the desk. "My heart stopped when she told me. I don't know how I stayed calm long enough to ask if she was okay! None of us knows the right course of action here. But I know that the wrong one is to wallow in self pity when you have a daughter and a grandchild who need you right now."

"I'd like to see you be a better parent."

"This isn't about me and I am not making it about me. It's about Annie." Erick said just as firmly, placing his palms against the desk and staring down at the chief. "You know I'm right, so stop being stubborn."

He never thought there'd be a day where he'd tell off the chief to his face and survive. But here he was, doing it. And Toothless wasn't even blinking.

He continued on before either of them could respond. "I understand that you crave love and attention. You've always been that way, especially concerning your kids. You take Annie so seriously because you were her hero once. You still want to be that for her, I understand all that. But this isn't about you. Don't ignore it anymore, definitely discuss it with her, but you have to understand that this can't be about you. You have to let it go."

Hiccup's glare gradually loosened and he finally sat back in his chair with a huff. "Well, this is dignifying."

Erick blinked, surprised at the sudden change of tone. "What?"

"An almost 40-year-old being told off by seventeen-year-old-"

"Eighteen!" Erick straightened indignantly.

"Shut up."

Erick snickered, the tension finally breaking. Toothless wiggled in place at the sound, sniffing Erick's shirt as if he was looking for fish.

Hiccup sighed heavily. "You're right. You're right…"

Erick scratched Toothless's scales. "It's all right, dad. You've taught me plenty."

Hiccup frowned again. He wasn't sure why, but the young man knew this wouldn't be resolved in one day. It would take time and effort to break old habits.

Erick dropped his hands from Toothless's head and walked around the desk. "Stop that face." Hiccup sighed again and stood, accepting Erick's hug. "I'm sorry."

Hiccup hugged him tight. "Don't be. I probably wouldn't have done any better at eighteen if this happened to my friend."

Erick nearly choked at the word "friend". He almost felt defensive in a way. He didn't even feel like he qualified as a mere friend anymore. He cared about Adrianna so much; he wanted to make sure that nothing else would go wrong for her or her child. He didn't know when he'd become so fiercely attached. Was Brandyn's betrayal and abuse the thing that set him off? He didn't know; but even if it killed him, he'd make sure that nobody would ever hurt her like Brandyn had. Never again.

Instead of voicing these thoughts, he merely pulled away and shrugged. "Yeah well, I've still got a lot to learn."

"That you do, kiddo."

Erick sighed, feeling lighter and freer than he had in a few days. There was still a lot to do, a lot of issues to address… but mending his friendship with his father figure was a healthy step one. He'd have to remember to thank Horst later with sweet rolls (and hide them from Cliff).

"So…"

Hiccup slung an arm over Toothless's back. "What?"

Erick tried not to feel embarrassed, but… "What are we going to do about…"

"Addie, Brandyn, the rumors? All of the above?"

The blond waved a hand. "Specifically the rumor... I don't want my name to go down in history as the guy that... Yeah."

The chief scratched his stubbly cheek. "You won't. I have an idea how to kill that. I don't think it will make it all stop, but it will ease the people who aren't sure."

The teen cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

Hiccup made eye contact with Toothless, as if they could hear each other's thoughts somehow. "I think I need to announce it to the village."

Erick gaped. "Really?"

"I don't know, I'm still trying to think of another option. But I think that might be the only way to clear your name, explain Addie's running away... All of it. We'll gain support over the dissent."

"And then?"

Hiccup smiled a little. "And then we're having a baby."

Erick gulped, the idea of that happening still so foreign and strange. His childhood best friend, the girl he'd loved for as long as he could remember was actually having a baby. He wondered how long it would take for her to actually show or if she'd have crazy crying spells over nothing like Magnus did. Oh gods, what if she wanted to have pickles and chocolate as a snack-

Hiccup snickered, pulling him out of his reverie.

"What?

"You look like I did."

"Except I'm not…"

"I know, but it's still funny."

"So you were nervous?"

Hiccup grabbed his satchel with a laugh. Toothless also chortled as he moved between the rows of books toward the doors.

Erick smirked. "I'm going to take that as a yes." Together they walked toward the doors.

"I was nervous, yeah. But when you're holding your son or daughter, or son _and_ daughter in my case, you don't think about it so much."

Erick nodded, wondering if he should voice his thoughts. "Great. Um…"

Hiccup looked at him quizzically. "What?"

Now would be the perfect time to voice his thoughts… But no. It was too soon. "Do you want to get dinner? Maybe if people see you not killing me, they'll relax?"

"It's worth a shot for now."

"We'll confuse them at any rate."

Hiccup smiled and slung an arm across his shoulders, almost making Erick feel like a little kid again. "Their loss. We've got a good thing going, this father/son thing."

Erick grinned, but elbowed him in the ribs. "Yeah, but we'd better let Finn get in on some of the action. Wouldn't want to lose another foot."

"Ha ha ha, that's not funny."

Toothless chortled as he ran past them around the corner, probably in search of unguarded plates full of fish.

* * *

For a while after dinner, which she just barely managed to choke down, Adrianna lay on her bed and tossed a fifth book onto the pile. For once in her life, she was tired of reading.

Usually she could ignore what was bothering her and immerse herself into a different setting with different people. She'd read until her eyes hurt or she got hungry or had to use the outhouse so badly she thought her bladder might rupture.

Now, that seemed to be every ten minutes. And the nausea was killing her slowly from the inside out. Did she even have a stomach anymore?

Adrianna sighed, staring down her torso at her stomach. Still flat, but not for much longer.

 _Pregnant_.

The word echoed in her head again and she slung an arm across her eyes. It still boggled her mind, even after all this time. Even after her harrowing adventure to Rune. Everyone in the village was whispering about her and Erick as if they'd… She still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that all this had happened in the first place. That she'd dated such a vile man at all who'd do such a thing to her. And people had the gall to think _Erick_ would-

"Oh shut up." Adrianna muttered to herself. She'd been going around in circles in her head all day, lying around in bed for the last two. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to move around.

Stretching and pulling on a pair of slippers, Adrianna stepped outside of her bedroom. The house was quiet. Finn hadn't come home yet; he was still avoiding her like the plague. She wondered where her mother was. Usually she'd be in the living room sharpening her weapons by this time, but no sounds of a whetting stone sliding across metal could be heard from downstairs.

The gentle sound of scraping paper caught her attention from her parents' room. The door was slightly ajar, so she quietly crept forward and leaned into the doorway.

Hiccup was sitting against the wall with a box of mementos next to him on the floor. Drawings, dozens of hair ribbons, small clay figures, dried flowers, a small stuffed Night Fury, a tiny pair of boots aged with time, and a small, familiar doll littered the floor.

"Mr. Gobcup?" Adrianna asked, stepping closer.

Her dad jumped and quickly exhaled. "You're definitely your mother's daughter."

"What do you mean?"

"You're really stealthy when you want to be."

"Sorry." Adrianna glanced back toward her bedroom. "I'll go if you want."

"It's fine, I just didn't hear you." Hiccup smiled.

Adrianna slid to the floor in front of the pile of random items. She looked at it all with curiosity. "What is all this?"

"This," Hiccup smiled, picking up the box. "Is your baby box."

"Baby box?"

"Yeah, your mom and I kept a bunch of little trinkets and mementos from your childhood. And Finn's. His is in a separate box."

"Aw…" Adrianna smiled, looking at a few drawings. "That's cute."

"I thought so."

"Did mom?"

"She warmed to the idea after a few hours of thought." Hiccup snorted. "She deemed it a worthy idea after a while."

"So sentimental." Adrianna breathed a laugh. "What's this?" She held up a small folded skirt in a light purple.

"That was your favorite skirt when you were little. Well… second favorite. The first... " Hiccup shook his head. "You loved that one. Used to wear it everywhere."

"You can say it, dad." Adrianna put the skirt back down. "That's the one Trista destroyed." There was a long pause in which he avoided eye contact before she smiled again. "Hair ribbons. Why'd you keep these?"

"Why not?" Hiccup shrugged. "Your mom used to put your hair in pigtails with those. It was cute."

"Well with a face like mine, of course it was cute," Her dad snorted. Adrianna held up one of the ribbons. "Not sure I could do that now."

"Nah, your hair's too thick for those wimpy ribbons. You've outgrown all the clothes in here."

"Really?" Adrianna gasped, holding the tiny boots up to her feet. "Man, I was so excited-"

"Oh be quiet."

Grin fading, Adrianna picked up Mr. Gobcup, surprised the doll wasn't falling apart. The clothes were tattered and dirty with age, but the limbs seemed to be intact. Only the center of the body seemed to flop in her hands a bit.

As if sensing her thoughts, her dad said, "It went right in the box after you stopped playing with it. Your mom didn't want to see it anymore."

"Why?" She asked in surprise, gazing up at him.

Hiccup was staring up at the ceiling, his head leaning against the wall. "Already enough scars to look at."

Adrianna looked at the white scars on his neck. They were a testament to how much he was willing to put on the line to keep her and her brother out of Dagur's hands. To keep Berk out of his clutches.

She gently lifted the doll's shirt up to see an old dried patch of blood, brown with age. The hole went straight down the center of its' chest cavity.

"He almost killed you."

Hiccup nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"He hurt you." Adrianna frowned. "He couldn't have wanted Berk so badly. Why did he want to fight to the death? Just… why?" She didn't know why she'd asked; she'd never really thought about it before. She'd heard Dagur's rivalry with her father had spanned decades, since they were children. Why did it have to end so bloody and ruthlessly?

Her dad looked at her with a serious expression. "He couldn't beat me. So he figured out the only way to hurt me was to take my family."

Adrianna's blood ran cold.

"That's why he kidnapped your mom," Hiccup exhaled. "When she was pregnant with you and Finn. She was going into labor when they took her. He kept her locked up in a jail cell and wouldn't send in a healer. That's why you were both born on an uncharted speck of land in the middle of Berserker Territory."

Adrianna frowned. "What would he have done if we'd been born in the jail?"

"I don't want to think about it."

She frowned, placing the doll back into the box with gentle hands. "Well good riddance. At least he didn't have any heirs."

"Sven has filled the role nicely," Hiccup replied.

"Why not keep the territory after Dagur died?" Adrianna asked curiously.

He merely shrugged. "I got what I wanted. I didn't need anything else. Viking tradition might call to divide and conquer, but I couldn't care less."

"Sacrificing a lot of power just for the two of us."

Her dad scowled suddenly, as if he'd tasted something bitter.

Adrianna would have stepped back if she was standing. "What?"

"I don't... " Hiccup sighed. "I don't care about my position. Or power. I only ever cared about my wife, my kids, and my dragon. I care about our people and their safety. But I don't _care_ about the position of being chief. I don't _care_ if I have lands or gold or…" Hiccup waved his hands around in frustration. "You name it! I don't care."

"Yeah, that's what makes you such a good chief." Adrianna said.

Her dad breathed a small laugh. "To the rest of the world, it makes me weak."

A sliver of frustration eased into her voice. "They're stupid."

Hiccup laughed. "I agree. That's why I fought so hard to stop Finn from becoming _that_ kind of chief."

"One like Dagur?"

Adrianna blinked, surprised at the question. She'd never once compared her brother to Dagur, but… well, he had been a tyrant once too.

"Somehow, I doubt Finn would ever have been so ruthless. Or vindictive." Hiccup shook his head. "But I didn't want to risk it."

"I don't know."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

"No, like…" Adrianna shrugged. "He's not like that anymore, but he's still scary when he's mad. He hasn't looked at me since we came home from…"

"Addie. Can you blame him?"

Adrianna sighed in frustration. "No. But he doesn't have to hate me."

"Finn doesn't hate you. He's just…" Hiccup shook his head. "Confused, afraid… Boys don't understand girls anyway. Put him in this position and he's going to be freaked out. Has Erick even come over the last few days?"

She frowned. "I thought you wanted him to stay away."

Hiccup winced. "We talked earlier. We're not angry with each other anymore, but… I don't know, Addie. I can't trust anyone with you right now."

Adrianna felt indignation rise in her chest. "He wouldn't hurt me. The idea is ridiculous; you don't have to make him stay away like he's the bad guy."

"That's not the point, Addie," Hiccup said. "I know he wouldn't. Call me an overprotective, territorial male all you want, but I'm not having anybody in this house right now. For you, for your mom, Finn, heck, for my own sake. We need space right now. Let's take advantage of it while we can."

"Before I pop like a balloon."

"Well, let's be realistic," Hiccup smiled. "I can't forbid all social activities from now til February."

"Gods, I'm going to be monstrous."

Hiccup snickered, gathering some of the papers and mementos into a pile and placing them back in the box.

Adrianna pursed her lips, heart pounding. She had to say it, at least for his sake. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Hiccup's movements slowed before quietly replying. "It's alright."

"Don't lie," Adrianna said firmly. "It's not alright. I should have told you right from the start. The second he wanted more, I should have told you."

He carefully placed the top back on the box and pushed it aside. He folded his hands in his lap for a moment, seemingly gathering his thoughts. "Addie," Finally, he met her eyes. A matching set of green. "You know I love you, right?"

Adrianna nodded.

"No matter what?"

"Yes," she whispered, throat tightening.

"Then it doesn't matter." He whispered back, leaning forward and pulling her into a hug. "Young or old, sick or healthy, baby or not, it doesn't matter. I love you, and I'm not going anywhere."

Adrianna sniffed and buried her face into his shoulder, hugging him around his chest tightly. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Hiccup pressed a kiss to her temple. "That's just being a parent."

And for once, to her ears, it didn't sound at all like an obligation.

* * *

Finn was ticked.

The stitches in his left arm itched like crazy. The Great Hall was stuffy as heck. The parents sitting at the table in front of him couldn't keep their kids under control. Brandyn raped his sister. She was pregnant.

And they were about to tell the whole village.

He wanted to hide behind a pillar away from probing eyes. People continuously looked at him as his dad conversed quietly with the council nearby. Adrianna sat beside Erick on a bench by the head fire pit, looking a bit queasy but keeping her expression calm. Erick whispered something to her and she nodded thinly.

Finn bit back a huff. What he wouldn't give to hide in the woods all day. And because he was stupid and cut his wrist, he couldn't even burn as much energy as he usually could.

Or he _could_ and he could go back to the healer's and Inga could re-do his stitches. That wouldn't be too obvious would it?

He was a mixed bag of emotions and he knew it was obvious to those who knew him best. His current scowl was probably a good telltale sign. His friends hadn't spoken to him much the last few days; not since he'd returned from Rune with a gruff attitude worthy of Stoick the Vast. The guys had asked to see his battle injuries, but he'd merely cut them off with a snapped reply of "the blood isn't mine" and stomped away.

He was being a jerk and he knew it. But stress was too high right now. He was close to snapping and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out.

Hiccup and the council finally broke ranks and calmly walked to the front of the crowd. The murmuring died down almost instantaneously, people curious to know what was going on with their chief and his family this time. Most people already had an idea of what had happened because of the rumor. They still hadn't figured out who'd started it; Finn almost didn't care.

"Thank you for coming," Hiccup began, folding his hands behind his back. "I promise to keep this brief, since we all have things we need to attend to today." He paused, looking toward Astrid for encouragement. A hint of fear flashed across his face for a split second before it disappeared. "There is no easy way for me to say this. I'm sorry that your children needed to be present, but there are things I need to discuss with you. I don't want any adult left out."

His dad took a deep breath, staring down at his prosthetic for a moment. "My daughter was raped by Brandyn Anderson."

Gasps exploded across the room, eyes whipping to Hiccup, to Astrid, to Adrianna who stared at the table, to Finn who kept his eyes locked on his father. He ignored the chatter, the shock, his friend's open stares as they tried to catch his eye. He clenched his jaw and kept his eyes on his dad.

"I want to take this moment to ease any doubting individuals out there," Hiccup said strongly. "Erick Larson did not touch my daughter. Period. I don't want to hear another word about it."

Finn glanced at Erick in time to see him reach over and take Adrianna's hand subtly under the table. His blood boiled and he looked away. The nerve. _The nerve-_

A hand waved in the corner of his eye; he looked over to see Inga staring at him. She raised a hand in front of her as if to inhale, and moved it down slowly. _Breathe._

He closed his eyes and did as he was told. He couldn't lose it in here. Not right now.

When he could breathe without shaking, Finn opened his eyes and focused again on his father's words.

"-not sure where Brandyn went, but I'm sending warrants out to our allied clans for his arrest. If he so much as sets foot on their islands, they'll bring him here and he'll be hanged for his crimes."

Murmurs broke out across the Hall once again. Finn gulped, suddenly feeling some of his father's fear. They hadn't even heard the worst of it yet.

As if on cue, Hiccup said, "That's not all."

Everyone went quiet, waiting to hear what he might say.

"Half of the rumor is true," he said, eyes moving across the crowd. "She _is_ pregnant."

Again, people gasped. A few women shrieked, as if it pained them to hear the words. Finn's eyes darted to his sister, whose gaze was still locked on the table. Her shoulders were stiff, the knuckles of her fingers white in Erick's grip.

Suddenly, a man yelled from the back, "How do we know you're not just covering for Erick?"

Finn whirled in the man's direction, ready to track him down and knock his teeth out. Gobber stood next to him and grabbed his arm before he could take a step.

Before Hiccup could reply, Adrianna's voice erupted across the room: "Erick would _never_ touch me."

The room went silent. Nobody had heard her speak to anyone in such a voice. Finn turned to see her glaring at people left and right.

"You people don't have to believe me. But it's true. Brandyn was not the man he claimed to be."

The man snorted in his seat. "For all we know, you could be wrong about Erick too."

A few dozen people whirled in their seats in anger, ready to defend the Larson boy. Finn was slightly amazed at how many people were willing to go to blows over the teenager who they'd been gossiping about just yesterday. Cliff looked about ready to launch out of his seat.

Hiccup's voice carried across the room over the din: "Joel, I would tread very carefully if I were you."

"Or what, chief?" Joel, a tall, wiry man with long blonde hair stood. "You can't protect everyone!"

Toothless growled in his spot next to Hiccup, setting some teeth on edge.

"I thought that would have been obvious." Hiccup replied coolly. Finn saw the calculating glare and knew Joel was toast. He almost wished he had a bowl of popcorn to enjoy the coming spectacle.

Erick broke his silence. "If you think for one second I would be best friends with someone for over a decade and then suddenly turn on her and hurt like that, you're an idiot."

"Wouldn't be the first time it's happened, kid."

"True, but I'm not the kind of pig that sleeps with the barkeep."

Gasps erupted around the room, even a few snickers. Finn had to fight the smirk coming to his face at Joel's expression. The 25-year-old was typically seen hanging out with Cale, constantly flirting with the patrons of the local tavern, but he'd always had a sweet spot for Dana.

"The barkeep has a _name_ , punk-"

"So do I," Erick mused, looking at his fingertips casually. "You want respect for the girl you care about? Then respect mine."

Finn stiffened.

Joel's appreciative look made Erick's ears burn. "If all this is true, then you're jumping into the ring pretty soon after the last guy."

"Enough." Hiccup snapped.

Finn swallowed his ire. He was inclined to agree with Joel.

"The point is that I don't want to hear this ridiculous and completely unfounded rumor anymore. I don't know where it started, who spread it. I don't care. It's false. And it sullies both Erick's and Adrianna's good names."

"Good name?" Joel erupted again. "He was making out with your little princess not a month ago!" Voices of agreement echoed through the room. "You people are ridiculous!"

Hiccup opened his mouth, but Erick beat him. "It was a mistake."

"You're the most nonsensical kid I've ever met."

"Using big words now?"

"One minute you're kissing her, then avoiding her, then saying you care about her, but then you say it's a mistake? You're a joke!" Joel waved his arms about, almost trying to rile up the crowd.

Finn felt his patience wearing thinner and thinner by the second. The problem was, he wasn't sure which side he'd be arguing on.

"It _was_ a mistake." Adrianna spoke up, standing up for the first time. "We're human. We all make mistakes. But trusting Erick," she paused for a moment, meeting his eye, "that's not one of them."

Finn nearly rolled his eyes with the crowd.

Joel scoffed. "Please, spare me your romantic love story. You and your precious lover will trash people who know who they are and what they want, yet all you've caused this village is drama since the day you were born!"

Finn watched his dad surge forward. Either Joel didn't see him coming or he didn't care.

"Your little rape baby is going to be nothing but a menace to this village because it will have a rapist for a father and a whining little slut for a m-"

The punch Hiccup delivered to Joel's face echoed across the room. Finn was pretty sure he saw teeth fly.

Joel hadn't been on the ground for more than a second before the chief hauled him up by the shirt collar and slammed him over the edge of the fire pit. Even Finn's eyes widened.

"If I hear my daughter or grandchild referred to in that way EVER again," Hiccup seethed. "I won't miss the fire pit."

Hiccup pulled the man up and shoved him back into his seat with a slam. Wiping blood from his mouth, Joel glared at the chief's back as he stalked away.

"Let me make myself crystal clear," Hiccup said, falling back into a scarily calm voice. "The rumor ends _now_. If you want to take it up with me privately, fine. We can talk. But I will not tolerate any individual being accused of something they did not do. If I'm unavailable, you may take it up with any individual on the council. They will be willing to answer any of your questions or ease any concerns that you might have."

Finn didn't know how he did it. How could his dad shift from rage to calm and collected in a span of seconds? He wished he could bury his anger that easily.

"I think that is all for now." Hiccup said calmly. "Do not bother my daughter for details. She needs space right now and I would ask that you respect her privacy. You're dismissed."

It took a few seconds to register the dismissal before everyone steadily got to their feet. Children avoided even looking at the chief out of fear. Finn crossed his arms and leaned back against the pillar, finally allowing himself to exhale. Gobber finally hobbled away to talk to Hiccup.

Adrianna slowly sat back down beside Erick, who silently reached for her hand once again. She accepted it with a small smile.

Finn looked away. He couldn't help but agree with some of Joel's comments. They were ridiculous and sappy and frustrating. All of this drama could have been prevented if Erick had just backed off. Now he had the gall to touch her, to think he had any right.

He turned and walked away, pushing past Inga and Cliff and whoever else wanted to talk to him. He needed air and space, maybe an open sky or an uninhabited island where he could scream his frustrations without someone watching.

Ducking through the crowd, Finn took a hard left along the walls and stood in the shadows. He gritted his teeth at all the conversation he could hear as people walked down the stairs back toward the village.

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Is the chief's daughter gonna have a baby?"

"Yes, honey."

Finn closed his eyes and looked toward the roof, blocking out all sound. For once in his life, he wished he could evaporate. Or go deaf so he didn't have to hear it anymore. Didn't have to deal with this anymore. He wished…

His heart clanged in his chest. He wished Benen was here.

When the number of people exiting the Hall lowered and Erick and Adrianna emerged, still holding hands, Finn snapped. Neither of them saw him coming until Finn shoved Erick away and rammed him into the stone wall.

Adrianna gasped. "Finn!"

"Don't. Touch. Her." He growled into the other boy's face, feeling his skin flush.

Erick's eyes were wide. "Finn-"

"Don't- just shut up. Don't touch her. Period. I don't want to hear it!" Finn yelled. "Don't TOUCH my sister!"

"Finn!" Adrianna cried, pulling at his arm.

He didn't even know why he was feeling so desperate, but everything felt like an attack. He was still furious with her too, so why did he even care what she did anymore? If she wanted to act like a victim and then let the next boy sidle right in and get comfortable because she needed support and a boy to make her life better, then why did he even care?

Erick held up his hands calmly. "Okay."

Then, Hiccup and Astrid walked out. The chief nearly balked. "Finn! What- let him go!"

He wished he could strangle him; instead, he released Erick and stepped back once. Erick calmly straightened his shirt. Adrianna inhaled sharply, sounding like she was trying not to cry.

Hiccup sighed and stepped forward, "Finn-"

"Don't talk to me in that voice," Finn growled. "Like _I'm_ the bad guy!"

"Nobody is saying that, Finn." Astrid said placatingly. "But you need to-"

"What? Sit here and do nothing like the rest of you?" Finn shouted.

Hiccup winced, peering down the stairs at the few people still retreating. "Finn, keep your voice down."

"Or what? You'll throw _me_ in the fire pit too?"

His dad was in his face a second later. "Don't you _dare_ give me that tone. We are _not_ doing this. We need to be on the same page here-"

"No," Finn shook his head. "We're never on the same page. Except _these_ two. I agree with half of what Joel said!"

Adrianna's face went slack. "Which part?"

"The part where you two have this petty little romance going on in the midst of all this garbage that's happened." Finn growled. "You two need to have a serious reality check because _you're_ pregnant. And while we're trying to tell the village what the heck is going on, that it's not _him_ who put the kid there, you two still have the gall to hold hands through the whole thing? Who the heck is going to believe you?"

Erick pursed his lips. Finn knew he didn't need to be so angry, but he knew he was right.

"I don't want to be rude but that's not any of your business," Erick said calmly.

"No. I don't see why any of this is _your_ business." Finn snapped.

"People accused me-" Erick started.

"He raped _MY_ sister, Erick!" Finn's voice nearly cracked.

Everyone went stiff, almost like they were shocked that he'd even said it. That he was showing emotion about it. Like they were surprised he even cared.

Finn stepped back, looking at all of them in turn, hurt and angry. "Am I not allowed to say or do anything here?"

Hiccup held out his hands placatingly. "Finn, we have to handle this delicately."

"Excuse me if I get a little overprotective of any guy touching her. I thought you'd appreciate that." He glared at his dad.

"I do, Finn." Hiccup said. "But Erick isn't the bad guy."

"Yeah, the bad guy is walking free out there, potentially doing _this_ ," He jerked a hand at Adrianna, who flinched. "To other girls out there. But you don't care about them do you?"

"Finn."

"Because it's not _her_!" Finn nearly shouted. "Screw anybody else, because _she's_ the only one who's important!"

"Finn, come on, that's not true!" Hiccup sighed.

"Then explain to me why _this_ ," Finn gestured to Erick and Finn, standing shoulder to shoulder. "Is in any way okay after all this?"

"Friendly support isn't a bad thing." Erick said.

He rolled his eyes. "You and I both know that there's more to this than _friendly support_."

"Whatever you want to tell yourself, Finn."

"Alright, enough," Hiccup said, pushing between them. "I get you're upset, but we _need_ to keep a level head."

Finn shook his head. "Yeah, level headedness is what's going to solve all these issues. For the record," He turned to his sister. "Maybe I'm getting all up in your business because I'm trying to protect you."

"I don't need you to protect me, Finn." Adrianna said, an edge to her voice. "Especially not from Erick. Or do I need to convince you along with the rest of the village that he'd never hurt me."

Finn narrowed his eyes. "He has hurt you. Lots of times."

"And I forgave him!" His sister growled. Erick had him pinned with a teal glare. "Stop acting like you're so much better!"

"I'm not!" Finn shouted. "Maybe I'm sick of being useless around here!"

"Okay-" Astrid said, trying to get between them.

"Stop it!' Hiccup pushed him back before either him or sister could say another word. "Finn, please."

Finn panted angrily, staring him down.

"I cannot do this right now, Finn."

"No," Finn wasn't ashamed that his eyes burned. "Where it concerns me, you never can."

Turning away he marched toward the woods and didn't look back, not even when they called his name.


	17. Words of Assurance

That night Finn lay in his bed, face smashed against his pillow. He twisted his Fortis necklace in his fingers, dangling over the edge of the bed, thoughts swirling in his head. Another sleepless night loomed.

Strong. He wasn't strong; he was confused and angry and being a jerk. He didn't know how to be strong in a situation like this. Benen would have assessed the situation and known how to deal with everything happening. Better yet, he would have had the exact words to say for every person. If Benen were here, he wouldn't feel so lost and confused.

He heard the mismatched footsteps before his bedroom door opened. He looked over his shoulder to see his father's matching frown.

"Get your boots on."

Even though his curiosity peaked, Finn sighed and rolled over. "Where are we going?"

His dad threw his flight mask, which he caught mid-air. "For a flight." Without another word, Hiccup walked out and down the stairs.

Finn sat up, running a hand through his hair. As he bent over to pull his boots on and put his necklace back on, the things he'd said earlier that day ran through his mind once again. He didn't think he was wrong; no, he still believed Erick and Adrianna needed to take things slowly than they were. She hadn't been home for a full week yet and they were already trying to start a relationship when she was pregnant? Did Erick realize that she was about to be single mom? Did _she_ even realize that?

Maybe it was inevitable, he thought as he clomped down the stairs, ignoring his mom and sister sitting in the living room. It wasn't that he didn't want Erick and Adrianna together. He'd always had a feeling about them, Erick's lifelong crushing aside. It was one of those things that everyone had always known. He almost envied them for it.

But not now. They had to be losing their minds if they really thought _now_ was the time to start a relationship.

Finn found his dad inside the barn, saddling Toothless. Wordlessly, he saddled Zap and strapped a small pack of supplies to the straps. A few minutes later he was ready. Hiccup was already leading Toothless outside and getting into the saddle.

"You never said where exactly we're going." Finn slid into his own saddle, Zap wiggling in anticipation beneath him. He scratched the scales behind her ears to placate her anxiety.

His dad shook his head. "Anywhere but here for a while. I'm stressed, you're stressed. Let's just get out of here for a bit."

Finn shrugged, unsure if he'd feel any better after taking a mere flight across the darkening skies. But he nudged Zap into position and they took off together.

Zap pumped her wings harder to keep up with the Night Fury. The wind ruffled his hair, the chill bit his skin; Finn was glad he'd pulled on a jacket before leaving. The sun was close to setting, splashing a montage of colors across the skies and reflecting off the waves. They ducked around puffy clouds that passed.

Finn looked over at Hiccup, whose brow was pinched, the frown still on his face. He looked away, feeling guilty for the things he'd said. He ran through all the reasons in his head why, logically, he was right. He knew he was right. So why did he feel so bad when his dad gave the kicked puppy look?

Berk had long since disappeared on the horizon when Finn finally gathered enough gumption to speak.

"Look, I'm sorry I'm making things more difficult for you. You're stressed enough as it is, I get it," Finn said with a sigh. "But I can't ignore how I feel about things."

Hiccup winced. "Not now, Finn."

Finn bit back a huff. "You drag me out here and you don't want to talk ab- What are you doing?"

His dad had begun unstrapping his harnesses and kneeled on top of Toothless's back. The Night Fury rumbled in sudden excitement, keeping his wings steady. Zap looked on in surprise, a rumbling "Rrr?" coming from her throat. Toothless gave her a look that said, "Watch and learn, cub."

Hiccup merely replied, "Stress relief." Then he dove off of Toothless head first.

"DAD?" Finn watched in shock as his dad plummeted toward the waves a thousand feet below. A second later, Toothless dove after him, roaring for all the world to hear. "Zap, come on!" The Shockjaw crowed and pulled into a dive.

They weren't going nearly fast enough to catch either man or dragon if anything went wrong. The wind tore his hair back against his scalp, the cold freezing his fingertips. His dad was still diving, arms at his sides, Toothless next to him in the same alignment.

When the water loomed and Finn began to feel panic rise in his throat, Hiccup twisted into his saddle, locked in and snapped into position. Toothless roared with exhilaration as the wind caught his wings and they blasted across the ocean waves, leaving the kids behind.

"Whoa…" Finn stared after them with wide eyes, looking down at the waves merely two hundred feet below. "The stories don't exaggerate."

Zap rumbled in agreement, pumping her wings harder to catch up. At long last Toothless slowed and flew beside them. Finn stared at his dad, eyes still wide.

Hiccup laughed. "Alright, say it."

"That was so stupid and crazy and freaking amazing!" His dad laughed again. Finn smiled too. "How'd you do that?"

"Years of practice. Right bud?" Hiccup scratched his dragon's scales beneath the ear plates. The chief sighed. "We don't get to do that very much anymore."

Finn could almost feel the longing of freedom coming off the pair. He'd heard stories of their harrowing adventures and crazy flying his entire life. He'd seen his dad and dragon fly for his entire life. But he'd never really seen them in action. Not many of his generation had really seen just what they could really _do_.

A streak of competition roared through his veins, and he smirked. "I don't know, Zap. All words, no show all these years." He felt four glowing green eyes lock on him and he shrugged. "They probably couldn't do many fancy tricks anymore." He smirked at his dad, who's eyes were narrowed. "Wouldn't want to break anything with those old bones."

Toothless snorted, pumping his wings in irritation. A slow, daring smile spread across Hiccup's face. "We'll leave you in a cloud of dust, boy."

"So much chit chat."

"Then let's go!" Hiccup snapped into position and smirked. "Let's show them how it's done, Toothless."

The Night Fury and Zap roared as they dove, hurtling toward the ocean. Zap waited for the perfect moment to catch the up draft before hurtling forward across the skies, Toothless and Hiccup on their tails.

* * *

They lost track of time, zipping between the clouds, dive-bombing the waves, tackling each other in the air. Finn didn't know how long it had been before they landed, but the sun had already set when they did. The older rider and dragon led the way to a random hilltop high above the village, overlooking the ocean and rolling hills.

Finn slid off Zap's saddle and flopped onto the grass, his knees nearly buckling. He'd be sore tomorrow, but he didn't care. He hadn't had that much fun in a long time.

Toothless and Hiccup joined him on the grass. Zap stretched her wings before curling into a ball on the grass to take a nap. Within minutes she was snoring. Apparently all that hard flying had worn the younger dragon out.

His dad stretched an arm across his chest, pulling his elbow with a wince. "I might be getting too old for those kinds of antics."

Finn snorted. "That's sad."

"Honestly, it is," Hiccup sighed. "We used to pull crazier stunts for hours straight, every day."

"I can see the appeal. Domesticism stinks."

Hiccup frowned. "Well, no. It just came to a point where I had to decide what I wanted to do with my life. I needed to come to terms with my responsibilities, and I knew I wanted to marry your mom." He shrugged, folding his hands behind his head and laying back against the grass. "It turned out all right."

It was Finn's turn to frown. He hated to be a killjoy, but he couldn't help but say: "Not all of it."

A sigh. "I know."

His thoughts turned to his sister once again, and everything he'd said to her and Erick earlier. He reflected on the last few weeks, before she'd run away, how weird she'd been acting. Little did he know that she was pregnant all that time.

"So much makes sense now," Finn murmured. "Why she was so angry and burned everything he'd given her. She wasn't just mad that he'd cheated on her."

"I know."

"Why even…" Finn didn't finish. He didn't want to voice his thoughts. But it didn't make sense. Why did Brandyn even feel the need to press Adrianna into anything if he'd been getting some on the side with Dana anyway?

"Some people are just that perverted, Finn. It doesn't make sense. That's just how it is."

"What are we going to do about him?"

Hiccup was silent for nearly a minute. Toothless lifted his head and placed it on his torso, effectively forbidding him from moving anytime soon. The chief rubbed his dragon's nose absently. "Right now, nothing. We'll see if he shows up anywhere."

Indignation twisted in Finn's belly. As patiently as he could, he replied, "That's stupid and you know it."

"I have to focus on your sister right now. I don't have time to go gallivanting around the Archipelago looking for him."

"But-"

"I'm well aware of what could happen, Finn. He can't hide forever. One day he'll show up somewhere and if we're lucky, he'll get caught and they'll hold him so we can properly punish him. But your sister needs us here."

Finn scoffed at the stars. "She doesn't need me."

His dad was quiet. "You two need each other more than you'd like to admit."

"She doesn't trust me."

"Do you trust her?" Hiccup asked, facing him.

Finn kept his eyes on the sky. Did he trust his sister? He knew she'd keep any secrets for him; she'd kept a tight lid on his past, no matter how many times he'd made her angry. She easily could have spread all his secrets. Yet she never had. But did he trust her?

"I don't know what she could do for me if I needed her to. We haven't really had that kind of situation before."

"She admires you," Hiccup said. "She stands up for you when you're not around."

Finn frowned. "What do you mean?"

"As hard as you've worked to regain the favor of the villagers, there are still a few who are skeptical. I've seen her tell people to shut up and give you a chance."

Really? "When was this?"

"A while ago. A good few months after things started turning around." Hiccup said.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each pondering the same girl and her recent troubles. Finn found himself scowling when his dad spoke again.

"I understand you want to go after Brandyn. Believe me, I do too. If ever see him on Berk again…" His dad's voice hardened for a second. "He wouldn't be leaving. But I can't put revenge first. She needs me, and I can't abandon her. She needs all of us, all of our support."

"You keep saying that," Finn sighed. "I don't know what exactly you want me to do or say. Do you want me to apologize for how I feel? I can't help that I feel differently about all of this than you guys do."

Hiccup thought for a minute. "Imagine if she went out of her way to badmouth you no matter how hard you were trying to do better. You'd want her to be on your side, wouldn't you?"

Finn huffed, sitting up. "That's different."

His dad also sat up, pushing Toothless's head off his chest. "Why is it different?"

"Because I was the one who did something stupid." Finn growled, memories resurfacing. "A lot of stupid things. I was the one who ripped the village apart. I was the one who nearly got Ava and Erick killed. By all rights, she should have been ripping me a new one in front of everyone."

"But she didn't." Hiccup said patiently. "All of that and she still chose to forgive you."

"I'm not-" Finn stood, feeling the sudden need to pace. "This isn't a situation of forgiveness! I'm not mad at her for what happened!"

"Yes you are, Finn."

"Okay. I'm beyond ticked that she went to Rune," Finn threw an arm in the island's general direction. "She took off without telling somebody, could have drowned at sea, could have been… mistreated by those Runian pigs, could have gotten Lily killed. So yeah, you're right, I guess I am pretty mad about all of that."

"What about the rest of it?" Hiccup asked from the grass patiently. His green eyes nearly glowed in the dark.

Finn crossed his arms with a huff. "Which part?"

"All of it."

"I don't know, dad." Finn huffed, facing the cliff face. The familiar anger burned in his chest. "I'm not mad that she couldn't stop him. Out of all the guys, only Brandyn could match me in a fight." He swallowed hard at the thought.

Hiccup sighed. "I just have a hard time believing that you're only angry because she took off."

Finn whipped around. "She didn't tell anybody!"

"Didn't tell anybody what?"

"That's she's freaking pregnant, dad!" Finn shouted, waking the dragons from their slumbers. They growled and rolled over, but Finn ignored them. "You know this, so why are you-"

"Because I wanted to hear you say it."

Finn frowned, realizing his dad's train of thought. His dad had been trying to get to the root of his anger this whole time. Even now he was discovering what exactly that was.

"A girl can't help that, Finn."

He turned away, his anger bubbling. His dad stayed quiet, seemingly waiting for him to speak. Finally he seemed to scramble his thoughts into something coherent.

"It would have been one thing if he'd… done whatever, took off, and left us to pick up the pieces. That's not anything new, and I don't care about 'd give her time to heal and come back from it, and we could all move on." Finn said, finally turning back to his dad. "But we can't because we're going to be reminded of it every day."

Hiccup finally made to stand. "Finn…"

"No, you know it's true!" Finn stepped back. "You guys want her to keep this thing-"

Hiccup's gaze sharpened. "It's a child, Finn."

"Exactly!" Finn gasped, surprised at the horror in his tone. "It's not going to go away. She's going to be reminded of what happened every day, and worse, it will remind us of what we failed to stop!"

"No," Hiccup shook his head. "I think it will do just the opposite."

"You _actually_ want her to live with this for the rest of her life?" Finn demanded.

"She's not alone, all of us can help her."

"What if this isn't what she needs?" Finn asked. "We both know that she does better with traumatizing experiences when the triggers aren't there. Bring in the trigger, and she's known to fall apart."

"She doesn't fall apart like that anymore, Finn."

"I do!" Finn insisted. "When I saw Javan on Rune, all I could see were slave traders!"

"I know." Hiccup said gently. "But she's older and stronger now. You were terrified to leave the house when you came home last year. She was willing to sit in the Great Hall in front of the _entire village_ and _listen_ as I told everyone what happened to her. And not only that, she stood up and told them the truth _herself_." His dad shook his head in slight amazement. "Honestly Finn, I've never seen that from her."

"So she had guts for twenty minutes," Finn frowned. "That doesn't mean she should raise the thing that Brandyn forced on her."

"Stop calling it that. It's a person."

Finn sighed.

Hiccup crossed his arms, exhaling through his nose. "I understand why you feel this way, Finn. It's hard and it's scary. But again, we have to do what's best for her."

"I don't think keeping it is what's best for her."

"And while I value your opinion," Hiccup said calmly. "You're not the one who's making the final call."

"And you are?" Finn dared.

"No," Hiccup said. "Even though I'm her father and I want what is best for her, which I firmly believe is keeping the child… I don't want to force anything on her. It would kill me if she didn't want to keep it. But I think she does."

"Did she tell you this herself?"

"Not in so many words." Hiccup said, kicking a pebble out from under his prosthetic. "I know she's afraid and unsure, but I see the way she looks down at herself. There's more to that look than fear, Finn."

Finn huffed, looking away. "I just…"

"What?"

"I don't know what to do or where I stand in all of this. I feel…" He hated the word, knew how his dad felt about it, but he said it anyway, "Useless."

Hiccup fought the wince. "You're not useless, Finn. You're anything but that."

"Well I can't just agree to this."

"I'm not asking you to. I want you to be on the same page as the family, Finn, but I can't force you to change your mind. I don't want you to fight with her; I want you to respect her and her decisions. I want you to give Erick some patience and space, because he's going through a ton right now. You certainly have some deep dark secrets that you don't want people to know about."

Finn winced, Raine's beautiful face flashing in his mind's eye.

"Erick was rumored to have caused all this. He's only trying to stand by her side and give her support, not start anything prematurely."

Guilt welled in his chest; he needed to apologize to his friend, at least for attacking him. That much was true.

"As for Brandyn…" Hiccup rested a hand on his shoulder, straightening his son's spine so they saw eye to eye. "You're a warrior by nature, Finn. You protect the people you care about. As a father and chief, I can't do anything about him right now. But there's going to come a day that we will see Brandyn again. And when that day comes," His dad's eyes nearly glowed in the darkness. "I won't hold you back."

A promise. One day, Finn would get the chance to avenge what that man had stolen from his smart, beautiful sister. And despite his reservations on the child, Finn felt his resolve tighten.

One day, he and Brandyn would go blade to blade. He didn't know when, but someday, Brandyn would pay for everything he'd put his sister through. He'd pay for hurting her physically, emotionally, for cheating on her, for everything.

For once, Fearless Finn was not afraid. And he would not hold back.

* * *

The next days were a blur.

Adrianna took frequent walks in the woods behind her house to get some fresh air. Occasionally she'd walk to the village to visit the library or poke her head into the leather shop to say hi to the boys. They'd greet her cheerfully; Horst gave her a thin leather bracelet with colorful beads on it yesterday, saying he had no use of it. The kind gesture made her smile, and she had yet to take it off.

Some individuals still gave her the stink eye as she walked the streets, but the support was larger. She still felt uncomfortable, being single and pregnant and the chief's daughter, but in the end, she was glad she'd told everyone the truth. She was tired of hiding. She didn't want to live the next year of her life indoors.

Her house (and Erick and Cliff's) were overflowing with gifts of apology. The thing about Vikings: they were stubborn and brash and bullheaded most of the time. But when they found themselves in the wrong and were willing to admit it, they apologized profusely with gifts. Food, animals, weapons, empty scrolls and quills, ink wells, dragon riding gear, anything you could think of, the Haddock's home now overflowed.

Cliff and Erick's small house fared no better. She'd knocked on the door the evening before to see if they wanted to take a walk with her, and she'd heard Cliff yelp something about protecting "his precious bounty from strays!" Erick had socked him in the head at the admission. Literally, he'd thrown a dirty sock at the other boy.

"What's this about strays and your precious bounty?"

Cliff was buried up to his chin in snacks as he lounged on the couch. "Agh you're babbling buffoon of a brother came by the other night and ate half my snacks! The outrage!"

Adrianna slid into a chair, accepting a warm mug of cider from Erick. She took a sip and hummed happily. They'd been given so many apples that apparently the Larson boy had taken to making all sorts of apple treats. Cider brewed over the fire, muffins and strudels cooled on the counter top, and the distinct smell of apple pie wafted from the stone oven.

She'd forgotten that Erick had such an affinity for baking.

"Why did Finn come to steal your bounty?"

Cliff shoved a handful of nuts, raisins and chocolate pieces into his mouth. "He wanted to say sorry for being a butthead."

Adrianna smirked. "He'd never stop apologizing."

"Hey now," Erick said from the kitchen area. "He's not all bad."

"Hmph."

"Have you talked to him?"

"Nope," Adrianna said, twisting her mug in her hands. "He hasn't said a thing to me since the Great Hall meeting."

"Nothing?" Cliff asked, missing his mouth and dropping his mixture all over the couch. "Ah! My bounty!"

"Nothing. Whatever."

Erick leaned against the counter top, rearranging his muffins to near perfection. Because only Erick would rearrange muffins to make them look _just right_. Perhaps he was like his mother a little bit after all.

Adrianna loved his little idiosyncrasies that made him who he was.

"-to him."

"Hm?" Adrianna blinked.

Erick smiled as he repeated himself. "I said you should talk to him."

She frowned. "He'll come to me when he's ready. That's Finn for you."

"Sure, he did that for us." Erick said, putting a square of strudel on a plate and walking it over to her. The step- _thump_ of his prosthetic nearly matched the gait of her father's. "But maybe he's afraid to broach the subject with you."

Adrianna accepted the snack and raised a brow. "Hellooooo, this is Fearless Finn we're talking about?"

"Fea'ess Finn es no' a'ways fea'ess." Cliff said around a giant mouthful of muffin.

She gaped at him. "Do you ever stop eating?"

"I'm keeping my weight up."

"You've been eating all day and haven't gained an ounce."

"Shut up Larson."

Adrianna snickered. While Cliff nearly dwarfed her in height, his metabolism remained high. Which meant that, unlike Finn, who could put on muscle at every meal and workout, Cliff remained thin and wiry. He'd continued to grow inch by inch, but he still couldn't put on weight. Or grow a mustache, as it turned out; he'd informed them the other day that he'd been trying for a few years now.

Erick, though… Adrianna's eyes slid to her friend as he continued cutting the strudel. He was fairly average; average height, average weight, average looks. She was completely fine with this however; she wasn't complaining. Most blonds couldn't grow beards because one couldn't really see it anyway. Erick's facial hair came in a tad darker than the rest, but he still kept his face clean shaven most of the time. She didn't fail to notice the light shadow on the underside of his chin. His wavy blond hair curled at the edges with the summer humidity; she almost wondered what it would look like longer. But no, she liked him just the way he was.

She did wonder, however, what would happen if he consistently worked out like Finn did. She somehow doubted that he'd change extensively. He certainly wouldn't look like her brother in terms of muscle. But still, the idea sent butterflies bursting through her stomach…

"You alright over there?" Erick suddenly asked.

Adrianna shook herself and smiled, shoving the rest of the strudel into her mouth. He'd caught her staring at him. "Yup!"

Unaware of what it did to her, Erick smirked and held out a muffin. "Want one?"

"Cider, strudel, muffins. Are you trying to make me fat?"

"Even if I was, you'd still be pretty."

Cliff mimicked a gag over the side of the couch.

Adrianna blushed, but still threw her napkin at Cliff. "Shut up, Smedley."

"If you guys are about to get lovey-dovey, I'm going to retreat to-"

"Taryn's house?"

"NO!" Cliff whipped around and threw his bag of nuts and chocolates at Erick, who ducked. The bag exploded across the counter.

"Hey!"

"I was gonna say Finn's!"

"You made a mess!"

"So?"

"So much care for the bounty, I see," Erick drawled, throwing peanuts and other kinds of nuts across the room.

Adrianna watched the showering snacks with amusement, feeling extremely relaxed and at home with her boys. If only she could feel this relaxed at home.

It wasn't her parents. They'd gone above and beyond the last week to make her feel comfortable and loved. But Finn…

He had to be ignoring her. It had nothing to do with the fact that he left for work early and that he came home late. Anytime he'd seen her in the village or the Great Hall the last few days, he legitimately turned the other direction. Almost as if it pained him to see her.

She sighed, bending over and picking up a handful of the little snacks. "What exactly is all this?"

"We don't know," Erick said, looking at a handful himself. "Cliff calls them 'Trail Mix'."

"Why?"

"I dunno."

"Nuts and chocolate and raisins in a bag of fabulousness? _Obviously_ it's meant for adventures on the trail."

"Riiiiiightttttt."

"Shut up Larson."

Adrianna snickered once again. It was strange to admit to herself, but Erick was openly flirting with her in front of Cliff. Even if he didn't do so in front of anyone else, he was comfortable here at least. She didn't mind it one bit. She liked it, even. But how should she respond?

She'd flirted with Brandyn once upon a time. In the beginning, and for a better portion of their relationship, he'd been fun and sarcastic and witty. Only as time went on had things started to go downhill, as was typical for some relationships. It wasn't out of the question for people to break up. But considering everything that had happened, they were far from typical.

Every move of his had become calculating, almost like he'd had a plan. Long before he'd become violent, it felt like he always had some plan for the day. There was less spontaneous adventure; there was prioritized activities. Looking back on it, their dates had grown to be kind of dull.

She'd missed Erick and Cliff's random bouts of fun. One day she'd see them fishing, the next they'd be sitting at home, lying on the couches upside down as they tried to catch jelly beans in the air, another day she'd see Cliff dragging Erick to the bakery because it was "National Cinnamon Roll Day!". It didn't matter what day it was or what time; everything they did was positively random. She'd craved that kind of fun. They had a lot of fun memories on the days she could finally participate.

It was almost like Brandyn had purposely tried to keep her away from them. For every afternoon she spent with them, he'd have three dates consecutively planned out. It felt like in the last year, she hadn't really spent enough time with them. It felt like wasted opportunities. She should have dropped Brandyn a year ago. Then maybe none of this would have happened.

She frowned guiltily and looked down at her stomach. It was still hard to fathom, and she still hadn't experienced any physical changes with her pregnancy, but she felt the attachment. She was going to be a mom. The words had been on her mind long enough now that it felt strange to think otherwise.

And besides, she'd ended up back with her boys eventually. Brandyn was gone, Cliff was on his hands and knees trying to pick up peanuts with his elbows, Erick's shoulders were shaking at the visual. The gods knew she'd end up back here eventually, right in the middle of controlled chaos.

Erick pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes, still laughing as Cliff again told him to shutup, that he "needs to focus". Adrianna's heart leaped at the dimples clearly visible on Erick's cheeks. Nothing made her happier than seeing him smile like that. It made her want to hold him tight and tell him everything she'd never had the guts to say.

Finn's words came back to her and her smile faded. She tilted her empty plate so the crumbs scattered from side to side. She knew he was right to an extent. They couldn't rush things, no matter how much she wished she could. She was pregnant, Erick had been accused of abusing her. The idea still made her blood boil. People really didn't know anything about them. She wished she knew who'd started the rumor so she could teach them a thing or two.

But the damage was done. They had a long way to go, in a number of ways. While they needed to keep tabs on how they looked to the village, aka not do anything supremely stupid, she needed to get her life situated at home. She was having a baby in less than nine months. She couldn't prioritize anything else.

Besides, Erick had always held her hand in silent comfort and support, ever since they were little kids. That's the kind of gesture it was in the Great Hall, for the meeting. Finn read into everything; to him, every gesture had a purpose, a specific intent. He was like their mom-every move and word intentional, purposeful.

Maybe he was just being overprotective, considering the circumstances. Though he still had no right to full on attack her friend, when he was only trying to be supportive. No, Finn was crossing a line. His feelings might be in the right place, but he was too aggressive, his opinion too poignant. The last thing she wanted to be around was an aggressive male who couldn't control himself.

"She's frowning again."

Erick sighed, walking around the table. "Take the pie out in ten minutes, Cliffie."

"Huh?" Cliff abruptly sat up from the floor, elbows smashed together. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to walk Annie home."

She frowned. "I don't want to go home yet." Erick gave her a mischievous look. She narrowed her eyes and pried herself out of the chair, walking towards the door. "Alright then. Lead on, Mr. Larson."

Erick smirked and opened the door, waving her out.

"Okay, I'll stay here and guard all these tasty treats, then!"

"Don't eat them all." Erick warned before following her outside and closing the door. They heard a muffled response beyond the door before walking away, leaving Cliff to his own devices.

"Are you sure you want to leave him there by himself?" Adrianna teased.

Erick grinned. "Come on, he's fully capable."

"Yes, capable of eating every dessert in the house."

"He knows what will happen if he does that."

"And burning the house down."

"O-kay, Miss Smartypants!" Erick waved his hands around.

Adrianna stuck her tongue out at him; he quickly nudged her with his shoulder, knocking her off course.

"Rude!"

"Clumsy."

"Blondie."

Erick rolled his eyes. "That insult would make more sense if you weren't also blonde."

"Yeah, but your hair is prettier." He stuck out his lip in a pout, making her giggle.

"My hair is not _pretty_."

"I like it!"

"Your hair is nicer."

"Please, this thick mane?" Adrianna pushed it over her shoulder, feeling swish between her shoulder blades. "I have half a mind to chop it all off."

She felt Erick's eyes on her, so she looked up at him questioningly. His teal gaze was intense, looking at her hair, before slowly meeting her eyes.

He'd never looked at her like that before. It was like that look of longing he'd once given her, but deeper, more fervent. Unwaveringly affectionate.

"Please don't cut it off." Erick finally said, quietly enough so that she almost didn't hear him.

Adrianna smiled a little. "Why?"

Erick seemed to remember something and looked down. He shoved his hands in his pockets, focusing on the dirt path as they walked.

"You can tell me," Adrianna said, curiosity burning through her. "I'm not going to laugh at you. Why don't you want me to cut my hair?"

She watched him swallow, hard. That's when she realized he was nervous. _Really_ nervous.

After a few more steps of silence, she looked away, sure he wasn't going to reply when-

"Because it's gorgeous."

Adrianna faced him again, finding him already staring at her. A blush rose to her face and she smiled, looking down at her boots. The honesty in his face made her hands shake. "Oh stop-"

"No, I mean it." Erick said, seemingly regaining some confidence. "I've always lov- _liked_ it."

She grinned at his slip-up, but didn't comment on it. Was he usually this nervous? The girls, her family, so many people had been telling her for years that he was crazy about her. The idea always surprised her, since they'd been so close for so many years. Was she just now seeing the signs?

Unsure what to say, Adrianna bit her lip in thought. She didn't want to leave him hanging, so she said, "I love your dimples."

Erick breathed a laugh, bringing them to his face. Her heart somersaulted in her chest. "Why? They're like inverted craters on my face when I show a hint of real happiness."

"Exactly!" Adrianna exclaimed, poking his arm. "They're the telltale sign when you're genuinely happy."

His smile faltered, making the dimples fade. "Aud used to say that."

Adrianna reached over and wrapped her hand around his bicep in comfort. "She'd be proud of you."

He smiled again (and she didn't fail to notice the way his eyes darted to her hand on his arm). "Thanks Annie."

They walked across the bridge in near silence. A salty sweet scent of ocean spray blew their hair back. Adrianna tilted her head back and closed her eyes as she deeply inhaled. Warm summer nights were her favorite part of the season.

She opened her eyes to find Erick watching her silently, his eyes on her neck. He blinked and looked away, his face flushing, which only surprised her. Hiding a smile, she decided she'd need to ask Taryn and Helga how often they caught Erick checking her out, if it was even obvious. If it wasn't a common occurrence, then tonight he was being _extremely_ obvious.

Finally her house came into view. Erick walked her all the way up to the front door, as per usual. He leaned against one of the porch hand rails, looking up at her as she mounted the stairs. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he made no move to speak.

Adrianna smiled and twisted her hands behind her back. "Do you want to come in, or…?"

"No, that's okay." He smiled, shaking his head. "I need to get home and get ready for work tomorrow. Make sure we don't get any mice from Cliff's poor snacking habits."

"Okay." Adrianna said, sheepishly avoiding eye contact. Goodbyes had never been awkward for them, so why were they acting weird? "Thanks for walking me home."

"No problem." Erick said softly. He was staring up at her serenely, the nearby torchlight glinting against his eyes, his hair. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, tomorrow." Adrianna nodded.

"Okay," Erick straightened and moved toward the ground once more. "Goodnight, Annie."

He made it two steps down before Adrianna blurted, "Wait."

Erick turned to look back up at her.

She didn't know why she did it, but suddenly the need was overpowering. She walked forward, gently held the sides of his face, and kissed him. Erick went tense for a second before wrapping a hand around her waist and pulling her closer.

Never in the two years she'd dated had Adrianna ever been kissed like _this_. Erick gently turned her so her back was to a pole and completely captured her mouth with his. He threaded his fingers through her hair so gently and patiently that her toes curled in her boots.

Adrianna sighed and pushed her fingers into his hair and down his neck. Erick groaned and kissed her needily, effectively stilling her hands against his skin. She'd never known someone to hold her like this and still give her the space to move away if she wanted to. But she didn't want to. Even with all the bad things that had happened to her, she fervently believed Erick would never hurt her. He would only ever care about her: her wellbeing, her feelings and emotions, her physical needs. He'd only ever cared this much because honestly…

Erick finally slowed and pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. Adrianna fought a giddy smile; she could tell he was no better.

"I love you, Adrianna Haddock." Erick murmured against her lips, looking to all the world like he might start kissing her again. "I love you."

Adrianna grinned and kissed his nose. "I love you too, Erick Larson."

Erick grinned then and kissed her once more, chastely this time. But he soon pulled away and cleared his throat (whether for her benefit or his own, she wasn't sure). "However, as great as all that is-"

Adrianna snickered, dropping her face into his shoulder. She was so giddy, she could hardly think straight.

Laughing, Erick bobbed his shoulder so she'd look up at him again. "We should probably discuss all of… _this_."

"You just gestured to all of me." Adrianna sassed.

Erick rolled his eyes. "Seriously."

Adrianna nodded. "Seriously. Yeah. Do you want to get breakfast tomorrow?"

He raised a blond eyebrow critically. "I work at eight."

Blinking innocently, she asked, "So?"

"You never get up before nine thirty."

Adrianna sniffed. "Anything for you, Mr. Larson."

"Oh gods, don't call me that."

She blinked at his tone, surprised. "Why?"

Erick smirked. "Because frankly, the way you say it makes me want to kiss you senseless."

Adrianna swallowed hard at the thought. "Perhaps someday then."

He grinned, dimples emerging once again. She wanted to kiss them. "Anyway, breakfast then?"

"Yes," She nodded firmly. "I can always take a nap halfway through the day."

"Right." Erick gently pushed her hair away from her eyes and kissed her forehead. "I have to go now."

"So soon?" Adrianna breathed against his mouth.

He sighed heavily. "You are such a sadist."

"What? Why?"

"Because you drive me crazy."

"I didn't even-mph!" Erick kissed her firmly one more time before finally stepping back and walking down the final steps.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Annie."

"Okay. Goodnight, Erick."

Erick gave her one final grin before beginning his walk back to the village. Adrianna leaned against the pole he'd pressed her up against, smiling at his back for a good long while. Even after he'd disappeared into the night, she could still feel the ghost of his lips against hers. Somehow she doubted she'd sleep tonight, even if she had decided to get up early.

But she meant it. For him, she'd ask her mom to wake her up early. For him, she'd gladly get up every morning if she could see him off to work every day. If it meant seeing teal eyes and a dimpled smile, she'd sacrifice sleep every day.

Eventually, when she began to shiver from the chilling air, she decided to go inside. Slipping off her boots inside the door, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Finn emerged a second later; he merely raised an eyebrow at her and waltzed into the kitchen.

Adrianna wanted nothing more than to run straight upstairs to her diary and write down everything that had happened in the last ten minutes. But Erick had advised her to speak to her brother. They couldn't avoid each other forever, and… her child would be Finn's niece or nephew. There was no getting around that fact.

She quietly sat down at the table and watched him pour a bowl of milk and cereal. He chugged a better portion of the milk from the container before noticing her raised eyebrow stare.

"Don't judge."

"I'm not judging. I do that with the juice all the time?"

"Eugh, thanks for warning me."

"You just did it with the milk!"

"Milk goes bad in a few days. I'm saving us from wasting."

"Psh." Adrianna shook her head. Finn could talk himself out of any ridiculous thing and still come out on top.

"Have fun swapping spit?" Adrianna leveled a glare at him as he replaced the milk and turned back toward his bowl. He shoveled a spoonful in and rolled his eyes. "Relax, I'm not going to tattle-tale."

"Doesn't mean you had to spy on us."

"I was walking past the window when you started it. I didn't stick around for the whole show."

Relief eased its way into her chest. She was still annoyed, but at least he hadn't watched their entire shared moment. Or worse, burst out the door and beat Erick to a pulp.

Adrianna steeled herself. "He wanted me to talk to you."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Course he did."

"He doesn't want us to argue."

"I'm not arguing."

"Finn, seriously."

"I'm not!"

Adrianna huffed, pushing a hand into her thick hair. "I'm having a baby in a few months. I want you to be a part of it."

Finn shoved his spoon around the bowl, glaring down at it. "I never have a say in these things."

"Do you think _I_ had a say in it?"

He glowered.

"I don't want to fight about this." Adrianna said firmly. "We feel different about a lot of things, but… I'm tired of fighting people. I want to be able to… figure this out without all the drama. I'm tired of drama." Finn had gone stiff at the counter. She backpedaled. "I'm not calling you drama. That's not what I meant."

Finn huffed and rubbed at his face. "Then let's be a bit more clear then, okay? You and dad always say things and when I take it the wrong way, you try to say what you _really_ meant."

"Then forget all of what I just said." Adrianna said. "Let me start over."

"At which part, exactly?" Finn asked. "How far back are we going with this re-start?"

Adrianna frowned warily, unsure what was on his mind. "How far back do you want to go? I mean, obviously you've been mad at me for a while now."

"Mad doesn't even begin to describe it."

"Then describe it for me, Finn." Adrianna snapped. "Stop beating around the bush and running away from me and just say when you have to say."

"I want to know why you went to Rune."

Adrianna winced. "It was an acc-"

"No, you went to port and you left the ship. Why?" Finn demanded.

She sighed. "My map was destroyed. I was hoping-"

"That some nice guy would let you buy one and you'd be on your merry way?" Finn glared.

"I know, it was stupid."

"Stupid doesn't even come close." Finn nearly growled. "You know what happens there. You know what happened to _me_ there."

"I know!"

"Then what would possess you-"

"Maybe I was possessed and I went outside of my own free will, Finn. I don't know. It's in the past, you guys found me and brought me home, I'll never go within twenty miles of that foul place ever again. Okay?" Adrianna snapped.

"I saw Javan that day."

Adrianna's heart froze. The horrible slave trader who'd sold her, allowed him to be carted off in a filthy ship bound for Maero, to be bound and branded like a cow.

"I was terrified that we wouldn't find you in time." Finn admitted in a quiet voice. "I didn't know where to look. So when I heard fighting and turned a corner and saw that man holding you up in the air like-" He stopped, looking away.

She saw the fear in his eyes then. She knew he was angry about a good many things, but where Rune was concerned… she'd genuinely scared him.

"I'm sorry." Adrianna said softly. "I won't ever do that to you again."

The house was silent for a few moments. Realization dawned on her.

"Where are mom and dad?"

"Council meeting."

"So late?"

Finn nodded. "Started after dinner."

"Oh." She replied lamely. They still had so many other things to talk about; she wasn't sure where to begin.

"I'm sorry too." Adrianna looked up at him in confusion. Finn's eyes were hard but sorrowful. "I worked with him every day and had no idea. I should have known. So I'm sorry."

Her shoulders drooped. "Finn… it's not your fault."

"I'm your brother. It's my job to protect you."

Adrianna nodded. "Still. I don't blame you. I don't blame any of you."

Finn's eyes darted to her stomach before flitting away. "What are you going to do about…"

"The baby?"

He nodded solemnly, avoiding eye contact.

The blonde chewed her lip. "I'm keeping it."

Her brother frowned, his jaw set.

"He, or she, needs me, Finn. I can't just abandon it because… because of what happened."

Finn shook his head. "Your life will never be the same."

"My life already isn't the same." Adrianna countered. "There won't be a day that will go by that I won't remember it."

"Exactly, so why would you want to keep something that will remind you of it?"

"The baby didn't ask for this." Adrianna said quietly. "I didn't ask for this. But it would be wrong of me to put my situation over his or her life."

Finn frowned again. "Why is that wrong?"

"Because it's a life, Finn." Adrianna replied. "If one of our female dragons laid eggs and our barn was way too small, would we just throw the eggs over the cliff because they'd cause the future an inconvenience?"

"No."

"Why?"

Finn tapped his fingers against the oak counter. "Because we could just build a bigger barn."

"Exactly. We can adjust. We don't have to abandon and throw away."

"It feels like a mistake."

Adrianna made a face. "Well yeah… I mean, it's not what I wanted or ever planned on. But it is what it is."

"I mean keeping it."

She stared at him for nearly a minute, shock taking over her features. "You _seriously_ want me to get rid of it?"

Finn frowned again.

Standing up, Adrianna walked over to the counter. "Why?"

"Things were finally looking up." Finn said flatly. "And now… _this_."

Adrianna stepped back when he jerked his chin in the direction of her stomach. Horror twisted in her stomach and she shook her head.

"I'm trying to think of what's best for you too, Anna, even if none of you want to believe me." Finn stressed, walking around the counter. "The last thing you need is a kid attached to your hip after what you went through!"

Tears burned her eyes. "No. You want to spare me of any _inconvenience_. I don't see it like that. It's my _baby_ , Finn. Everyone has a purpose, I can't just… throw it away like it's nothing!"

Finn shook his head. "It's unwanted, Anna! You don't really want it! You're just dealing with the circumstances as they've been dished out to you!"

" _I_ was the unplanned pregnancy, Finn!" Adrianna cried.

Finn blinked, like he was unsure if he'd heard correctly.

"Mom and dad didn't know there was two of us! But there was! And they _fought_ for me! _Dad_ fought for me!" Adrianna said, tears streaming down her face. "They needed me just like they needed you. Just like this baby needs me. Brandyn won't be around to be a good dad. So the last thing he or she needs is for me to abandon it too!"

"You're thinking about this too much."

"No, I'm not." Adrianna strengthened her resolve. "I've always wanted to be a mom. What if this is the only child I can have?"

"You're seriously looking into this too deeply. You're seventeen now! You'll just make more with Erick once you two are stable!"

Adrianna's face heated, but not in embarrassment. In pure anger. "You leave him out of this. I won't have _this_ one."

"You don't WANT this one!" Finn shouted. "Mom and dad don't deserve this! Erick doesn't deserve all of this to be dumped on him because he didn't even do anything!"

"Erick will put up with anything for me!" Adrianna snapped.

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of."

"What?"

"He's my friend too, Anna!"

"He loves me, Finn!" Adrianna shouted. "It doesn't matter what you or anybody else thinks because to him, I'm worth it!"

"Yeah? How does he feel about this?" Finn pointed at her stomach.

Adrianna slapped his hand away. "We haven't discussed it yet."

"Okay, you might want to get on that, because if he's ready to propose tomorrow, he needs to realize just what he's getting himself into."

"Seriously Finn, Erick is the smartest guy we know aside from dad." Adrianna rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he's thought of everything."

"Yeah, I predicted that one."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Adrianna wiped her face on her sleeve. "Whatever. You just want to protect yourself."

Finn stiffened. "What now?"

"You're only concerned about _your_ reputation being scarred, Finn." Adrianna drew herself up taller, willing herself to be strong in front of him. "This has nothing to do with you so you have nothing to worry about."

"Not true because people are looking at me too! I wasn't even part of your little love triangle!"

Adrianna had half a mind to slap him in the face, despite her regret last time that had happened. "It wasn't a love triangle, Finn! I was _raped_!"

Finn ground his teeth together, seemingly regretting his words.

"If you can't come down from your own little perfect world and settle with the less than important people, then don't have anything to do with me. I don't want my child to have an uncle who hates them." Adrianna stomped toward the stairs. She didn't want the rest of her night tainted any further.

Finn shook his head angrily. "Instead of estranging me from _your_ little perfect world, you could just get rid of the real problem!"

Adrianna whirled around halfway up the stairs. "YOU'RE the real problem, Finn! I take it back! You are drama! Maybe if we dropped you like deadweight, there'd be a heck of a lot less problems around here!"

Her brother stepped back as if he'd been slapped. Hurt flashed in his eyes. Adrianna didn't feel bad. He'd said plenty of horrible things to her. He didn't want to make amends. He just wanted to be right all the time. Well, she'd prove to him that he wasn't going to win this fight. She was going to have this baby and she was going to raise it either with or without him.

The door suddenly opened and their parents strolled in, Toothless on their heels. The adults and Night Fury halted upon seeing their twins standing five feet apart, fury etched on their faces.

"Is everything okay?" Hiccup asked.

Adrianna sniffed, rubbing at her face. "Oh yeah. Everything is fine." She turned and stomped up the stairs. She hovered in the hallway out of their view when her parents asked Finn what was happening.

"Nothing."

"Finn, don't walk out on me."

"Nothing okay!" Finn's voice echoed through the house. "You guys just have fun making everything work out for her and I'll try to keep myself straight so I don't drag you down like _dead weight_!"

Adrianna jerked at the bellow, clearly directed at her, before the back door slammed. The house was silent before Toothless warbled questioningly. She tiptoed to her bedroom and gently closed the door.

She quickly changed in her favorite pajamas and curled up on top of her bed. She lay there in the silence for a long while, purposely shoving all thoughts of Finn and his opinions out of mind. She forced herself to relax and thought back to arriving at Cliff and Erick's house.

She thought through everything that had happened that evening from Cliff's antics until Erick dropped her off at home. She remembered every detail on the way Erick had held her and kissed her and, finally, after who knew how many years, told her that he loved her.

A smile stretched across her face at the memory. She rested her hands on her stomach and nearly laughed. "Maybe you'll have a daddy after all."

Adrianna snatched her diary off her nightstand and turned to the next pages, writing everything down until she had nothing left to write. She even wrote down some thoughts about Finn and what he'd said on a different page, keeping it separate from the amazing things that had happened tonight. She didn't want those pages tainted.

It had to be a long while after midnight when a soft knock sounded. Adrianna pushed her diary into her pajama shirt when her dad poked his head in.

"You're still awake?"

Adrianna shrugged, closing her diary. "A lot happened tonight."

"Yeah?" Hiccup stepped in and sat down on the edge of her bed.

She considered telling him what had happened with Erick, but… no. Not yet. She wanted a chance to talk things over with Erick. She wanted to discuss everything with him first. She felt a little guilty, considering it was her dad she was keeping it from. But she hoped one day he would understand. She was a big girl and she cared about Erick. She would figure this out.

So instead, she shrugged. "I hung out with Erick and Cliff for a while. And then Finn…"

Hiccup frowned. "Your mom is out there talking to him right now. He was pretty… agitated."

"He deserved it."

Her dad raised an eyebrow, but said, "I won't ask what happened. I already know how he feels."

"He told you that he wants me to get rid of it?" Adrianna asked in surprise.

"Yes. I had a feeling. It's not right, but… well, I can't really blame him."

Adrianna leaned back on her pillows. "Stubborn jerk."

Hiccup smiled a little, but sobered. "Addie… I know he's hard to get along with. But he's your brother."

"And this is my child."

"I know, Addie. But the thing is, at the end of the day, Finn would do anything to protect you."

Adrianna scoffed.

"I mean it. Your disappearance terrified him as much as it terrified me and your mom. He shot that soldier without even blinking, Addie. Finn's got a hard head and strong opinions, but he does care. He wants what is best for you, even if his reasons are misplaced. He's not stupid for feeling the way he does. We shouldn't dismiss him like… how did you say it… deadweight?"

Adrianna winced. When he put it like that…

"Nothing crushes him more than telling him he's not needed."

"Okay, I get it. But he wants me to murder my baby."

"Yet he isn't making this decision. You are. Finn will adapt when the time comes. He's good at that."

She sighed heavily, dropping her diary and quill onto her nightstand. "If you say so."

Hiccup smiled and stood, reaching over to kiss her forehead. "I do. Get some sleep, now."

"Dad?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think… you know, maybe things would be easier? If I got rid of it?" Adrianna fiddled with the blanket in her hands. "I mean, I'm not going to but…"

Hiccup adjusted her blankets as he thought. "For you? No."

"You're not just saying that _because_ it's me?"

"No. Well yes. I'm saying it because I know who you are, not because you're my daughter."

Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "Explain?"

Hiccup smiled. "I've seen you go through many of difficult things. I honestly don't think that getting rid of the baby would heal you. Keeping it, becoming a mother… There's healing there. It might be just what you need."

Satisfied, Adrianna bundled under her blankets with a smile. "I like that answer."

Hiccup smiled as he turned toward the door. "Good."

She fell asleep to the sound of her dad's prosthetic hitting the floorboards, and the feeling of Erick's lips on hers.


	18. Drawing a Line

With all the pounding his heart was doing, Erick was surprised passersby weren't turning their heads to figure out where the racket was coming from. It seemed to echo in his ears. But, for once, it was pounding for a good reason. The _best_ reason.

He and Adrianna Haddock had kissed. And not just _any_ kiss. That was… that was… _wow_. There was no other way to describe it. Their first kiss had been unsure, tentative. They weren't sure where they were going with it, it had just _happened_. Their second, well, _that_ was a mistake. He had felt copious amounts of guilt for it. In the moment, it had been thrilling but looking back, he really wished it hadn't happened.

This kiss, though… third time really was a charm. Erick smiled so widely he felt the dimples forming on his face. He wished Adrianna was here to kiss them. Then again, it wouldn't do to blush so much. He forced his mind to stay on track with some difficulty, as the mental image of Adrianna, beautiful, sweet Adrianna walking forward and kissing him again…

 _Focus_ , Erick!

The kiss he and Adrianna had just shared was everything he could have ever dreamed it would be. And he'd had quite a few dreams on the subject as well. Dreams that made him glad Cliff couldn't read his mind. But now, this was a reality. Now that they had shared that moment, he knew. He knew what, on some level, he had always known.

He and Adrianna were meant to be together.

It seemed ridiculous that he was only now coming to that realization after years of crushing on her from afar, after all the teasing the two had endured since their ages had been in the single digits. It was like they were the last to learn a wonderful secret. He had wondered, had scarcely dared to believe that their friendship could be headed in this direction but now that this had happened, now that he knew exactly where she stood, there was no denying it anymore.

His eyes wandered to his left hand. He briefly wondered if there would be a ring on his finger before long. Was it too soon to think about such things? Most men shuddered at the idea of commitment at such a young age but Erick embraced it. He had found the right person. She was the best friend he'd ever had. The idea of falling asleep holding her every night was enough to make him wish he could turn around and kiss her some more.

When he reached the front of his house, he took a deep breath and willed himself to stop smiling. Cliff would ask a million questions and he just wanted to go to bed and dwell on her lips against his. When he finally cooled down enough to look cheerful but not as giddy as he felt, he pushed open the door.

Cliff was lying upside down on the couch, reading a book with a large picture of a fish on it. Erick was about to ask if Cliff was finally studying up on the family trade (his father ran the fishery) when he straightened up and turned his steel gray eyes to Erick's.

"You kissed."

Erick sighed. Of course Cliff would be able to tell. Turning his face away, he couldn't help the grin that forced itself onto his face.

Cliff let out a sound that seemed to be a combination of maniacal laughter and the kind of cheer that wouldn't be out of place at a dragon race. He leaped from the couch and nearly tackled Erick in a hug.

"FINALLY!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, making Erick wince. "And to think I was right about you two all along!"

"Yeah, yeah," Erick grinned, pushing his friend away with a gentle nudge.

"Bro, I haven't seen you smile that big in years." Cliff wagged his eyebrows up and down. "Care to share ze story?"

Erick shook his head and flopped onto the couch. "It was so _random_ -"

"Random? With the way she kept looking at you, I'm not surprised at all!"

"Well yeah, she was watching me a lot." Erick admitted. "But I didn't think she'd actually… That's the first time she's ever kissed me." He bit his lip in a grin, staring at the ceiling.

Cliff was leaning over the back of the couch wolfishly grinning down at him. "Aww brooooooo! So when's the wedding?"

"Okay, let's not rush things." Erick sat up.

"Should I wear cologne?"

"Did you not hear what I just said?"

Cliff stuck his tongue out at the older boy but stopped talking. Instead, he hopped over the couch so he could sit backwards on it, facing Erick and staring so intently, Erick felt like he was going to have to give a speech.

"So?"

"So what?"

"So what happened? Things went well, right?" Cliff made a face. "You didn't use too much tongue, did you?"

"Eww, Cliff!" Erick shuddered. "Why do you think I'm going to share every detail of my intimate life with _you_?"

"Hey, better me than Finn! The stories he could tell you about making out-" Cliff shrugged.

"Again, _ew_." Erick cringed. He didn't think Finn had kissed any girls in quite some time since he'd focused so much on working, but back in the day he'd could get pretty frisky. Not that Erick ever wanted to partake in suck conversations. Bleh. "And it was really nice, okay? No tongue. Why am I even telling you this? You weren't involved."

"Because I am your bruh and I've been cheering for you and Anna for like… two years!" Cliff placed his head in his hands, reminding Erick of the way Adrianna looked when she was reading a particularly steamy romance novel. "Tell me everything, Erick! Let me live vicariously through you!"

"I'm going to bed."

"Noooo!" Cliff nearly knocked over the couch in his haste to block Erick's bedroom door with his body. "We're having this conversation and then I will give you kissing tips!"

"I have to get up early to meet Anna for breakfast." Erick said calmly, fully aware that he would easily be able to overpower the skinnier boy.

Cliff stuck out his lower lip in a pout. It was almost cute. _Almost_.

"I'll tell you more when we get this sorted out." Erick crossed his arms. "But I won't tell you _anything_ if you don't let me go to bed."

Cliff grumbled but stepped aside to let him pass. "Don't think I won't hold you to that."

"I wouldn't ever think that, Cliff." Erick said, grinning at him. "Good night."

"Good night, lover boy."

"Oh shut up!" Erick chortled, closing the door behind him.

Now that he had the privacy to change into his pajamas and get into bed, he took his time. Finally, he sat down on his bed and took off his prosthetic. Though Hiccup could sleep with it on, Erick found it extremely uncomfortable. Though, he supposed, it would be easier to jump out of bed if the situation demanded it. But he didn't have any reason to need to do so.

 _Unless he was a father_.

The thought popped into Erick's head without warning, making him pause in the act of propping his prosthetic against the bed. It was true though. Babies cried in the middle of the night. Children had situations twenty-four hours a day and he would have to keep an ear out for it.

Erick had always wanted to be a father, this much was certain. But did he want to be a father _now_? Did he want to raise a child at nineteen? As much as he adored Adrianna, the thought gave him pause.

Was she worth giving up the opportunity to have a normal courtship period? Was she worth the bouts of nausea? The mood swings? Would he still find her beautiful when she was in her ninth month?

He hated the uncertainty of it all. But, in the end, it was _Annie_. Perhaps the question was whether it was worth losing her for the chance at a less complicated relationship later on. As he curled into his blankets, he made a face.

Because the truth was, he wanted Annie a lot more than he wanted an easy relationship. Maybe that was the answer he was looking for all along.

* * *

Adrianna absolutely detested getting up early. _Especially_ now that she was pregnant.

But after last night, she hopped out of bed with an eagerness that she hadn't felt before. Was she tired? Oh yeah. Was it worth a few extra yawns so she could have breakfast with Erick before he went to work? You bet.

Astrid and Finn gave her identical raised eyebrows as she slipped on a jacket and strolled outside. She smirked at their confusion. They probably hadn't seen her get up this early in… She paused in thought. She couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten up this early.

Erick was waiting at the opposite end of the bridge, a paper bag in hand and a metal tin in the other. She skipped the rest of the way, snatching the bag out of his hand and ignoring his whine of protest.

"Well good morning to you too!"

"Ooo sweet rolls!" Adrianna grabbed one out of the bag and shoved the bag back into his chest. He took it with an endearing smile. "Thanks!"

Erick shrugged, playful smile still on his face. He nodded to the edge of the platform where they sat, dangling their feet over the edge between the wooden poles.

Leaning against one of the railings and giving him a smirk, Adrianna said, "It would appear that you and Cliff want to make me get fat sooner."

Erick choked on his bagel. "What?"

"You both keep bringing me sweet rolls!"

He tossed his head indignantly. "It's not our fault that sweet rolls are your go-to snack for stress relief!"

"Oh trust me, honey," Adrianna snorted. "Things are about to get a whole lot worse, I'm sure."

"Well, I could always just buy the bakery. Heck, I'll hire Ben as your personal baker."

"He could live in the barn, I suppose? Finn has a lot of junk up in the loft. Real cozy!"

"Oh yeah, Ben will love this proposal." Erick chortled.

Adrianna knocked an elbow into his ribs, making him scooch away with a pout. "Ah anyway… So… What exactly are we here for?"

Erick blinked. "Breakfast?"

"Well yeah, but we wanted to talk important stuff too." Adrianna hummed, grabbing his tin mug. She twisted off the cap and peered inside. "Ohh orange juice! You do know me well."

Erick snorted. "Well after fifteen years, I'd hope so."

"Mhm!" Adrianna's muffled voice echoed in the tin cup, making him chuckle. She swallowed and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. "Shut up."

He grinned. "No."

"Focus Mr. Larson, we have important things to discuss!"

The look he turned her way made her stomach flop. "What did I say about calling me that?"

Adrianna only giggled in response, choosing to look at the sunrise instead.

Erick swung his legs back and forth. "Soooo important things."

"Very important."

"Yup. Like… stuff."

Adrianna giggled. "Where do we even start?"

"I dunno," Erick shrugged. "That's why all of this makes me nervous. I'm so ill prepared."

"Seems to be a common thing these days," Adrianna hummed. "I'm seventeen and I'm pregnant. That's like… the _epitome_ of ill prepared."

"Yeah." Erick nodded, eyes shooting to her stomach for a second as if he expected to visibly see a bump by now. "I mean… I guess if this worked out between us, the baby would have two ill prepared… parents."

Adrianna looked at him, wondering how he paused at the last word. Obviously the idea would scare him as much as it scared her. He'd never been in this situation before either. "Well in that vein, everybody is kind of ill prepared their first time. Right?"

"Yeah, but…" Erick sighed. "It's just… different because of the situation." He rubbed his arm awkwardly.

"Erick, I hope…" Adrianna paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "I hope you don't think I said all that because I don't want to have this baby alone. I meant it. I'd have said it with or without it."

"I know," Erick said. "I just… There's a lot to think about. I haven't thought about it a ton, but I always kind of had some idea of how I wanted my first year or marriage to go. By way of a house and all that. I always admired how my dad did things, so I always thought I'd try to replicate what he did."

Adrianna smiled at the mention of Erick's dad. "You still could."

"Yeah…" Erick tapered off, staring at the rocks far below.

She followed his gaze. He looked so unsure and afraid today, so much different than he'd looked last night. "Are you… second guessing this?"

Erick's gaze snapped up. "No. I mean… I want to do this right, Annie."

"I know but you sound different than you did last night." Adrianna said calmly.

"I don't want to make an emotional decision. Emotion clouds judgment." Erick looked her in the eyes. "I love you more than anything, Annie, but we have to think about this wisely too. Are we even in a position right now that we could make this work? How long would we want to date? Do we wait until after the baby is born?"

"Do we get married or… break up if it doesn't work?" Adrianna asked softly, her heart sinking at the thought.

Erick winced. "I can't see how things can get much better between us. Honestly, we know everything about each other. The only thing to do would be to make the decision and… ready the future, I guess."

The way he said it with a sense of foreboding made her frown. "You don't sound confident, Erick."

He looked at her nervously. "That's what I've been trying to tell you, Annie. It's not that I don't think it could work or that I don't care enough, but… this is big and scary, you know? Oh what am I talking about? Of course you know this." He sighed heavily, staring at the mists below. "I want to do what's best for you. For us. I…" He glanced at her hand, his fingers twitching in his lap. "I don't want to mess this up or make it worse for you."

Adrianna reached over and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He ran his thumb across her knuckles softly, carefully. "It's a team effort. You don't have to… work yourself to the bone to prove to me that we can do this."

"I have to be able to provide for you," Erick murmured, staring longingly into her face. She could see in his eyes how much this bothered him. "How long do you want to live with your parents and brother with a baby? If we got married and didn't have a house, that's what would happen and I don't want you to feel like-"

Adrianna gently leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. She pulled away and he pressed his forehead to hers. "If I don't do anything, I'd be living there anyway and it would be fine. But that's not what I want to do. If I have to for a little while, I will. But I don't want us to shy away from a long term relationship because we're afraid." Erick looked in her eyes. "I'm _tired_ of being afraid. I want to be able to take a hold of something with confidence, knowing that that…" Adrianna smiled and took his face in her hands. "That _this_ is unbreakable. That nothing can shatter it. We've literally been through everything together. So let's make _this_ happen."

Erick smiled lovingly. "I love you."

She smiled, kissing his nose gently. "I know."

"Now comes the hard part." Erick sighed.

Adrianna blinked. "Hard part?"

"Asking your dad."

"Oh." She slid her hands to his chest, straightening his shirt. "Yeah…"

"Might as well ask Finn, too."

"Oh don't be ridiculous." Adrianna rolled her eyes. "Finn's had many less than promising relationships in the past."

"What do you mean? You make it sound like he dated more than Helga."

Adrianna paused. "Well, not dated."

Erick's brow furrowed. "I don't think I want to know."

She frowned, realizing she just painted a terrible picture of her brother. "Forget it. He hasn't done anything in a long time."

"I prefer to keep my mind clean on the matter."

"Agreed."

"And anyway," Erick smiled, slipping a hand around her waist a pulling her closer. "I didn't come here to talk about Finn."

"That's good because that just makes three awkward people."

Adrianna gasped and whipped around, huffing and clutching her chest as Finn snickered and kept walking. "Gods, you scared me."

Erick exhaled heavily as well, his hand loosening again at her waist. "How long were you standing there exactly?"

"Long enough to hear my name, lovebirds." Finn said as he cleared the rest of the bridge and leaned over the unprotected edge.

"Finn…" Erick tensed.

"What are you doing?" Adrianna asked intently.

"ZAP!" Finn yelled down the chasm. "GET YOUR BIG BUTT UP HERE; WE'RE LATE FOR WORK!"

Erick and Adrianna peered down the edge to see Zap twisting and twirling in the mists far below. Erick snickered. "Crazy goon."

"You have no idea." Finn muttered. "FINE THEN, NO COD FOR YOU!" They heard an indignant growl and Finn stepped back onto the bridge, holding up a hand. He counted down from three, two, one…

Zap blasted passed Adrianna and Erick spraying them with water and she went.

"Gah! Really Zap?" Adrianna wiped off her face.

The Shockjaw landed on the bridge and chortled before shaking off the water on Finn. "Oh gods, come on, stop playin' around, Gobber's going to have my hide." He griped as he climbed into the saddle. "See you later, lovebirds."

The blonde duo watched the pair fly toward the village, amusement on their faces. Realization dawned on her and she breathed a laugh.

"What?" Erick asked.

"That's the first time we've talked without any aggression in a while."

"Well that's good." Erick gathered his things and made to stand, wincing when he put pressure on his bad leg. "I better get to work too."

Adrianna stood, shaking water droplets out of her hair. "Can I come?"

"Well," Erick sighed. "We're doing a lot of leather cutting today and staining…"

"So?"

"You shouldn't be around those kinds of chemicals."

"Oh." Adrianna frowned.

"Besides I have to run to my mom's house on break and… well, let's just do dinner tonight, okay?" Erick asked.

"Okay!" Adrianna brightened. She grinned at the way his hair curled at the edges with the early morning humidity.

"Alright, I'll see you tonight then." Erick paused before leaning down and capturing her mouth with his. His lips were still slightly moist from Zap's wet entry. Adrianna sighed, wishing they could stay here all day. But Erick soon pulled away, face slightly red. "Okay, I gotta go."

Adrianna bit her lip as he forcefully turned and walked away. "See you later, babe."

Erick turned an amused look over his shoulder and laughed. Adrianna watched him go before skipping back to her house. Things were finally looking up.

* * *

"Pour those into the small bowl. Add three tablespoons of water. Mix it together. With the small whisk, Finn."

Finn smirked, ignoring Inga's eyeroll as he removed his finger from the dish and found the whisk. She'd been teaching him how to make various medical pastes for healing, along with herbal teas, poultices and other kinds of helpful things. While Mara's initial insisting he join the healing team for a brief time was originally a strange and unnerving thing (hey, Mara could be scary when she wanted to be!), he'd found all this information helpful. He didn't know what other situations he'd find himself in; it would be good to some general healing knowledge.

"So this stuff is for-"

"Anti-inflammatory. The oregano, garlic and ginger are really good natural anti-inflammatory components."

"And they make you smell like a pot roast."

"Oh shut up."

"Hey, I like pot roast!"

Inga rolled her eyes once again, snatching the bowl from him. She added a little more water before pouring it into a jar and capping it. On tiptoes, she placed the jar on the shelf near Finn's forehead. Her dark hair swished over her shoulder as she turned to wash her hands in a nearby wash basin.

"So how's your sister doing?"

Finn frowned. He leaned against the table with crossed arms. "Alright I guess."

"You guess?"

"I haven't really talked to her in a few days. Things are chummy with Erick so I think it's safe to say that she's okay."

With a skeptical eye, Inga dried her hands on a towel and faced him. "Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?"

"Don't you think that the last thing Anna needs right now is a boyfriend?"

"If it was anybody else, I'd agree with you." Inga said calmly. "But it's Erick."

"Half of all this drama could have been prevented if it wasn't for him."

"You need to let it go, Finn." Inga scowled. "This isn't about you and it's in the past. It is what it is."

Finn tipped his head back with a sigh. He knew she was right, but he wanted to be stubborn and angry.

"She needs your support just as much as everyone else she cares about." Inga reasoned.

"According to her, I'm just deadweight." Finn muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Inga frowned. "She didn't mean that."

"I'm basically not welcome around her kid if I keep having my own opinions."

"Well, what kind of opinions do you have that would make her say that?" Inga asked. "You both have a tendency to say harsh things after all."

Finn fiddled with his shirt sleeve. Even after admitting it to his dad and Adrianna, he found it hard to admit to Inga how he felt. "I just… How is she supposed to raise a kid at seventeen? She shouldn't have to do it."

Inga mulled over his words for a few moments. "I can't imagine being in her position and I won't pretend that the decision is easy. But I know Adrianna. I know Erick. This isn't about what's easy or what anybody wanted. Nobody would have asked for any of this. The decision is hers to make and she's had a hard enough time with everything leading up to this point. Finn, she was willing to run away and raise the kid on Bog Burglar Island. She never wanted to give the baby up, even after what Brandyn did."

Finn frowned at the name, but didn't reply.

"Maybe instead of focusing on what happened and what's changing, all of us need to band together and just support her decision." Inga said. "The last thing she needs after all that is more drama in the family. She needs you just as much as your parents and Erick."

"What can I do?" Finn asked. "I don't know the first thing about kids and… I'm not really the best guy to go to for…. for relationship advice."

If Inga felt as awkward as he did when he mentioned relationships, she didn't show it. Instead she said: "You're the future chief of this village, Finn. You're her brother. You can stand up for her, protect her. There's strength and honor in a man willing to stand up for abused women."

The words clicked in his brain. He'd seen abused women on Maero. Not many since Ratri had him scrubbing the floors until his hands bled, and he'd only been a slave for a short amount of time. But the things he had seen had always stuck with him. He remembered the women with shackles on their wrists, chain links around their necks, tattered clothes, hopeless expressions…

His sister now had something in common with them. Suddenly, guilt overwhelmed him.

"Gods." Finn whispered, finally understanding. "I'm an idiot." Why did he always have to make everything about himself? His sister had been abused in the worst way possible and he was worried about what people might say about him behind his back? He was annoyed that he'd worked so hard for people to like him again and how dare she ruin everything by keeping an accidental baby? This was never about him.

Inga stepped closer and looked up at him. "I think someone deserves an apology."

Finn exhaled. "Yeah. She does." He looked out the window, the afternoon sunlight filtering through the blinds in golden streaks.

"Better get to it then." Inga smiled.

"Yup." Finn smiled back wanly. "Thanks, Inga."

She shrugged. "Someone's gotta get through that stupid stubbornness."

"Ha ha." Finn opened the front door. "See you later."

"Bye!"

Finn looked around the busy square in search of a familiar face who might know where his sister was. He'd hate to run home to find she was actually in the village somewhere. Erick and Cliff were probably on work break, so they could be anywhere. Zap was probably off pilfering the local fishermen's baskets down by the docks, so he'd have to walk everywhere he went.

He picked his way through the crowds, scanning faces as he went and nodding to those who greeted him. After a few blocks, he spotted Magnus, Erick's older sister. He shrugged and walked over to her and her kids, who were playing in the street.

"Hi Magnus."

The dark haired woman looked up in surprise. "Hi Finn. How are you?"

"I'm alright." Finn smiled down at her kids, who were staring up at him with wide eyes. The little girl almost looked like a mini Erick. "I'm looking for Adrianna. Have you seen her around?"

"Hmm she was with Erick at breakfast…" Magnus stared into empty space as she thought. "Actually I think I saw her heading back to your house a little while ago."

Finn winced. This area was farthest from their house, so she could have stopped anywhere. "Oh well, I guess I'll head that direction then. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Have a good day!" Magnus smiled.

"Thanks, you too. Bye kids!" Finn waved.

The little girl hid behind Magnus' skirts but the little boy gasped. "Mom, dat's Finn!" He whispered.

Finn couldn't quite hide his grin at the awe in the little boy's voice. Magnus gave him a knowing smile before taking her kid's hands and walking away, Erick's nephew still staring after him. It was strange, but he remembered Erick mentioning how little kids adored "the big kids", how cool they thought they were. Maybe having a little niece or nephew wouldn't be so bad after all?

It would take a lot of time to get used to the idea. He really didn't know the first thing about kids. But maybe after some time, it would be fun?

He made his way through the village, taking street by street. He wished Zap would pop out of nowhere so he wouldn't have to walk in the hot afternoon sun. He squinted up at the cloudless sky and frowned at the ocean beyond the nearby cliffs. There was even a breeze today.

"Ugh, summer…" Finn sighed to himself. The streets had narrowed the farther away from the village square he walked and the crowds had dissipated. Now and then a dragon and rider would fly overhead, but for the most part this part of the village was empty. Mothers and their kids were outside participating in village activities, fathers were out working their various jobs. It was strange to walk through the silent sections of the village when it wasn't night.

In fact, if it hadn't been so quiet, he probably wouldn't have heard the sounds of a nearby scuffle, including the feminine cry of pain. Male or female didn't matter, but after everything he'd seen recently every instinct to protect coursed through his veins and Finn bolted down the street.

* * *

Adrianna usually enjoyed quiet walks in the afternoon sun, but now she was bored and lonely. After their long breakfast full of meaningful conversation, Erick had remembered he had some things he needed to do today. She asked if she could come, but some of that included going to his family's home, and she agreed that she didn't want to go there. She didn't want to face his mother and what stinging words she might have stored up.

She'd wandered the village aimlessly for a while, checking in on her parents to see what they were doing. She'd avoided Finn when she saw him heading into the healer's. He'd finally gone to get his stitches out of his forearm. She vaguely wondered if his almost daily visits to the healers wasn't intentional.

But she didn't care what he was doing with his life. They had barely spoken since their fight and she didn't plan on speaking to him until he apologized. _If_ he ever apologized.

Ignoring any rude looks from some villagers, she'd bought a cinnamon bun from Ben the Baker. The old man had given her a compassionate smile and given her an extra pastry for free, even after she'd insisted that she didn't need the extra calories. Ben had placed the pastry in the bag and given it to her anyway. The gesture reminded her of Benen and she'd genuinely smiled back. She'd eaten both pastries without regret. It was these small acts of kindness that reminded her that not everyone in the village was like Finn.

Adrianna kicked a loose pebble across the quiet streets, her hands in the pockets of her jacket. Even though the afternoon sun was high and stifling the air, she wasn't quite ready to take it off. She wasn't showing just yet but… it was a matter of security and comfort than warmth.

One of these days she'd wake up and be huge. She'd heard many stories of pregnant women and the things they'd experienced. Worse was the fact that every woman's experience was different, so she couldn't even prepare herself for a cookie cutter experience like everyone else. She could be the size of a moose by the end of the month.

Her mom had mentioned looking for some of her old maternity clothes in the attic, or using some of Finn's old shirts as smocks if they needed to make new. They'd definitely have to make her some pants.

Adrianna kicked the pebble harder across the road with a sigh. Things were going to be so complicated. The pebble clattered across the dusty road until it was stopped by a black boot.

Halting mid-step, Adrianna snapped her gaze forward and saw Cale standing in her path. His dark shaggy hair swept across his brow, framing his brown eyes. The guy had always creeped her out and she hadn't sat at his table since before she'd chased Brandyn away. But it was now that she remembered that the boys had been friends.

"Cale."

"Adrianna."

The blonde moved to walk around him, but Cale side-stepped to block her path. She glared up at him. "Get out of my way, Cale."

"Or what?" He smirked. "You'll slice my face too?"

Adrianna flinched. How did he know about that? She tried again to step around him but he kept blocking her path. "Seriously, what do you want?" She snapped, trying to keep her voice from shaking. The last thing she wanted to deal with was Cale's ego.

The sound of shoes against gravel caught her attention. She turned a glance over her shoulder to see Frey and Joel standing a few feet behind her. Her heart rate accelerated. Their expressions were the same as Brandyn's had been that day in the barn.

And once again, there was nobody else around.

Adrianna exhaled as calmly as she could. "What do you want."

"Well, you're the village whore aren't you?" Cale crooned.

She jerked, taking a step away from him. She froze when she remembered the two other men behind her. She tried to calm her pounding heart.

"If Brandyn and Erick can get some for free, then well," Cale shrugged, eyes trailing down her body. "Figured we'd stop by."

She had to get away. She wouldn't let this happen again.

Cale looked over her head at the other guys. "Who's first?"

Adrianna didn't wait another second. She slammed the toe of her boot into his knee, making him cry out and stagger in pain. Adrianna turned and ran down the nearest street. The towering houses cast shadows across the winding streets as she ran.

Heavy footfalls pounded not far behind.. She had to get away and find somebody, anybody that would stop this from happening. She didn't care who it was, this couldn't happen ag-

A hand snatched her arm and yanked her backwards. A yelp of pain exploded from her mouth as her shoulder muscle stretched too far. She vaguely heard the sound of her shirt tearing against the hand grabbing her. Using the momentum, she threw her elbow back and smacked Frey in the mouth. The sound of bone snapping echoed across the walls and Frey released her arms, spitting blood and grabbing his face. Adrianna turned to run again but suddenly Joel was blocking her way. She rammed into his chest, trying to shove him away, but he held her shoulders tightly and whipped her around to face Cale, who limped forward.

Adrianna thrashed against Joel, hearing the collar of her shirt tear even more. Cale came within hitting distance and Adrianna struggled, but she wasn't strong enough to fight Joel. Her breathing became panicked and hot tears flowed down her face.

"N-no please, leave me alone!"

Cale breathed a laugh. "Hold her arms up."

Joel yanked her arms straight up by the elbows so she couldn't fight. Her entire torso was exposed to Cale's hands. Her child was exposed to him with no protection.

"Don't touch me!" Adrianna gritted through her teeth, struggling to free her arms.

Cale smirked and moved closer. That's when Adrianna hauled her knee back and slammed it right up between his legs. He nearly toppled forward with a growl of pain, catching himself on the wall behind Joel. Before Adrianna could blink, Cale's fist connected with the side of her head beside her ear.

Spots danced in her vision as her head snapped to the side. She went limp in Joel's hold, barely hanging onto consciousness. She couldn't focus on anything, the sight of Cale straightening to stand blurred in her vision.

But the flash of silver caught her attention through the haze. Cale pressed the blade of a sharpened knife to her stomach and whispered in her ear. "Make one more move and I'll spill your guts and it will be bye bye baby."

Adrianna sobbed, sluggishly trying to fight against Joel. Frey finally stood nearby, his face covered in blood. She briefly wondered if she'd broken his nose before Cale's other hand grabbed her by the waist.

That's when the sound of running steps echoed down the corridor and Adrianna's heart leaped. Her eyes snapped open just in time to see her brother emerge, a cry of anger erupting from his mouth.

Cale barely had time to twist as Finn tackled him full force, sending them sprawling into the dirt. Finn's fist came down on Cale's face as they fell, but as they slammed into the ground, the most strangled cry of pain Adrianna had ever heard came out of her brother's mouth.

The fight ended as quickly as it had started. Cale grabbed Finn by the collar and hauled him to his knees. Adrianna couldn't see what was happening since her brother's back was to her; Joel and Frey were just as confused.

"You did it to yourself." Cale hissed before shoving Finn onto his back.

He hit the ground hard, his hands holding his right side. That's when Adrianna saw the knife sticking into his torso, blood already soaking through his clothes.

"NO!" Adrianna yelled, finally freeing her arms (or being released) and lunging to her brother's side. "NO NO NO! _Finn!_ "

Joel swore. "Cale!"

"Like I said, he did it to himself!" Cale growled, twisting on a heel toward a shadowed corridor. "Let's get out of here."

Frey and Joel stared down at the bleeding heir before turning and fleeing after Cale.

Adrianna's hands shook as Finn's face crumpled in agony, his breathing labored. "Finn! I-I don't know what to do, _what do I do?_ "

Finn gasped. "Go… go get help."

"No!" Adrianna cried, her hands shaking against his chest. "I can't leave you here!"

"Anna, I-" Finn coughed, his body spasming. He groaned, trying to speak. "I don't have time, you have to go now! NOW!"

Adrianna scrambled to her feet and took off down the dark street, the opposite way that the boys had run. "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP US!" It felt like she'd been running forever when she emerged at the main street where the three men had cornered her. That's where she ran headlong into Thorein and Evan.

Thorein grabbed her shoulders. "Whoa, what's-" Their eyes widened at her appearance. "Anna, what's-"

"Finn!" Adrianna grabbed his shirt and dragged him down the street. "Finn needs help!"

The boys ran down the street, leaving her in the dust. The panic in her voice must have told them that something was very wrong. When they saw Finn barely conscious in the street, they skidded to a halt beside him.

"Oh gods." Evan carefully inspected the knife wound.

"Finn!" Thorein shook him by the chin. "Hey, look at me."

Finn weakly opened his eyes, face already pale. "Th…"

"Sh don't talk. We have to get him to Mara's. Right now." Thorein shoved an arm under his shoulders, making her brother cry out in pain. "Sorry buddy. Come on, help him up."

Evan and Thorein lifted Finn to his feet, doing their best to keep his torso straight. Finn still yelled in pain, panting through his grit teeth.

Adrianna followed them down the path. "W-what do I do?"

"Run ahead and tell Mara!" Thorein instructed. "Go, go, go! We'll be right behind you."

She didn't want to leave her brother, but she knew that she had no choice. She moved around them and ran headlong down the street.

* * *

Erick looked up from his work to the sounds of shouting down the street.

"What in the world…" Horst muttered, shuffling over to the window and opening it.

A red Monstrous Nightmare flapped nearby, its rider leaning over to yell into the window.

"You better get to the healers!" Snotlout called.

Host tensed. "Why? What happened?"

"Something happened to the Haddock kids! Hiccup is already on his way and they're getting Astrid."

Erick didn't wait for anything else; he dropped everything and ran out of the shop and down the street toward the square, Horst and Cliff following at a distance. If they were calling the council members to the healers, that meant something bad had happened. Finn was the heir, if anything bad happened to him, it was a matter of security. And Adrianna... Erick ran faster.

His prosthetic slid on a patch of gravel when he rounded a turn, nearly running into Gustav. His brother grabbed his arm and kept him from getting a face full of dirt. They shoved their way through the crowd gathering in front of the healers.

When Erick shoved the door open, he shot to the first blonde he saw. Adrianna was standing at the end of a table where Finn was lying motionless except for his clenched hands and heaving chest. Her hands were on either side of Finn's face; she was shaking badly as she tried to keep him calm.

"Annie!" Erick said, putting a hand on her shoulder. He looked down at Finn and gasped.

Blood was everywhere. Finn's shirt had been cut open; bandages were pressed around a knife handle sticking out of his right side. His face was ashen, hands clenched at his side.

Adrianna looked up at him with wide eyes. Erick tensed; a bruise blossomed on her left temple, mostly covered by her hair. But it was big enough to make her eye swell.

"Gods, what _happened_!" Erick reached up and gently cupped her face. He was going to kill somebody.

Inga materialized beside them, pressing another cloth around the knife handle. Finn jerked against the table, clenching his eyes shut.

"Hold him down!" Inga commanded.

Erick pushed his arms against his friend's chest. "Hold still, Finn! Finn, you have to relax."

Finn groaned, turning his face away. Blood seeped from the wound onto Inga's hands.

"Gods…" She whispered, face pale. Erick knew that despite her calm expression, she was panicking inside.

Mara and Heather swept in, shooing Adrianna aside. Erick watched as the healers spoke quickly, trying to determine how long the knife was and if any major organs could have been damaged.

The door slammed open and he knew Hiccup had arrived. The chief shoved his way through the councilmen in the front room. He made to hold Adrianna when his eyes snapped to his son.

"Finn!" Hiccup gasped. "What happened!"

"I don't know." Mara said calmly.

"We need to get this out."

"I'm working on it."

"Well work faster!"

"Hiccup, you need to stay calm for Finn's sake. Inga, get me every cloth you can find. Erick, I need the room."

Erick swallowed hard and backed away, walking to Adrianna. Her hands were covering her mouth, still shaking, her eyes wide as she stared at Finn. Erick carefully stepped into her line of vision. "Annie?"

She didn't seem to hear him for a few seconds, but when she looked at him, her eyes were full of terror.

"It's okay," Erick said quietly. "He's going to be okay." Adrianna swallowed hard. Erick carefully wrapped his arms around her and she buried her face in his shoulder. Her body was so tense. Erick noticed the sleeve of her shirt was torn around the back and she winced when his arm touched her shoulder.

Erick heard shouting before Astrid ran in, straight to Finn's side. Her face was red from exertion, fear or wind burn; she'd probably been all the way across the island at the Academy. She brushed Finn's hair away from his face, demanding to know what happened.

Finn's skin was pale and clammy with cold sweat. He groaned when Mara worked around the wound.

"It's okay," Hiccup murmured.

"Dad…" Finn whispered.

"Shh don't talk-"

"T-they were hurting Anna." Everyone in the room who could hear seemed to stiffen, except Mara, who kept analyzing the wound.

Hiccup took a deep breath. "We'll figure it out, Finn, don't talk-"

Finn's face twisted in pain, tears streaking into his hair. "I tried to stop them-"

"Hey, it's okay. Look at me." Hiccup locked eyes with his son. "I will figure this out. You're the strongest kid I know. You are going to be _just fine_. Okay?"

Finn nodded shakily.

"Just breathe, okay?" Astrid pressed a kiss to Finn's temple.

"'s cold in here." Finn whispered.

"Inga, get him a blanket. Right now." Mara commanded, but the girl was already off. "Alright, I think we're ready to extract the knife. I need the room cleared. Erick, take Adrianna out. As soon as it is removed, I need to work quickly."

Inga returned with a blanket, draping it across Finn's waist. Erick saw fear in her eyes as he gently steered Adrianna out of the room.

Mara stood up straight, looking her apprentice in the eye. "Inga, wait outside."

Inga blinked. "What?"

The healer set her hands on Inga's shoulders. "I don't want you to do this operation. For your sake."

Usually Inga would argue, but she swallowed hard and nodded. She looked down at Finn unsure, but she already found him looking up at her.

"'s okay," Finn whispered. "I'll see you in a bit."

Inga's calm demeanor faltered for a second. She nodded, putting a hand on his arm for a moment before leaving the room with fast steps, closing the door behind them.

"Alright," Mara said calmly, the parents watching in dismay as she poured a small amount of liquid on a cloth. "I'm ready."

Astrid kissed Finn's forehead again. Hiccup rested a hand on his son's head with a look of brokenness.

Mara took a deep breath and carefully pressed the cloth over the teenager's mouth and nose. "Be strong, Finn."

Within seconds, their son's vibrant blue eyes closed and his body slumped against the table.

* * *

Erick didn't know how long they stood waiting. He'd been holding Adrianna in a warm embrace, his cheek against her hair, her cheek against his shoulder, long enough for his stump to start hurting. But he made no moves to sit down or disturb Adrianna, who hadn't moved, made a sound or shed a single tear since he'd arrived. She had to be in shock.

So he'd ignored everyone standing in the front room. Council members, Cliff, even his big brother who'd tried to say something encouraging earlier. Thorein and Evan had said a few quiet words to Snotlout and Fishlegs, since they'd been the ones to bring the Haddock twins here. He didn't know what had happened, but Adrianna had been bashed over the head and Finn was…

Erick closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, forbidding himself to panic. Finn was going to make it through this. Even after all their recent fights and disagreements, he wouldn't allow himself to consider the alternative.

After an eternity of silence, the door opened and Hiccup walked out, his hands and arms covered in his son's blood. He seemed to stare at nothing as he walked to the nearest wash basin and began scrubbing his hands. The room was so quiet, one could have heard a pin drop.

Astrid was the next to emerge, her face set in determination. She stood with a rigid spine as she too began scrubbing her hands and arms.

Inga pulled out of her father's embrace, grabbing a bucket and heading outside to get more water.

Hiccup's scrubbing turned near frantic when Astrid reached over and grabbed his hands. "He'll be okay."

Hiccup's shoulders dipped and he slowly inhaled. Erick couldn't see his face but he knew the chief was trying to keep it together. They still didn't know what had happened. The chief took another deep breath and slowly nodded, as Mara and Heather swept out of the room.

Hiccup and Astrid stepped away from the basin as Inga returned, filling new basins and removing the filthy water.

"Thank you, Inga." Mara said softly.

Snotlout broke the silence. "Well?"

Mara's composure didn't break. "As long as we can keep the wound from getting infected, he'll be alright."

Relief hit him so hard, Erick thought he might start crying. Cliff laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

Adrianna seemed to shatter, a sob finally breaking her silence. Hiccup was there instantly, gently pulling her out of Erick's arms. Seeing her in Hiccup's arms, Erick caught side of the long tear in her shirt from the collar and arm to halfway down her back. Someone had grabbed her and she'd fought…

She shook like a leaf in Hiccup's arms as he quietly shushed her. "Finn's okay. He's going to be okay."

Cliff finally whispered. "Erick, what happened?"

Erick shook his head.

Hiccup gently lifted his daughter's face out of his shirt. "Addie, baby… hey, breathe. Breathe."

Adrianna nodded, trying to calm down.

"I need you to tell me what happened." Hiccup's eyes focused on the bruise and a fire lit in his eyes. "Who did this?"

Adrianna hiccuped, holding onto his wrists for stability. "C-cale… a-and F-frey and J-joel. Th-they w-wouldn't leave me alone and F-Finn…" She broke down into tears again. "He tried to stop them and he fell on the knife, he didn't know it was there."

Astrid's composure broke. She ground her teeth and looked down, trying to hold in tears. Erick felt his own eyes burn.

Hiccup swiped his thumbs across his daughter's cheeks. "Did they touch you?"

Adrianna nodded. "J-joel held my arms back and C-cale was going to-" A sob cut off her words.

"Okay…" Hiccup whispered, pulling her back into his chest. "Okay. Shh…"

"Finn got there before anything happened."

"Who hit you?"

"Cale."

"Okay." Hiccup held her tight while she cried. "Shh it's over now."

Except for the sound of Adrianna's tears, the room was silent. Every council member had heard the story. Even through the haze, Erick realized that _this_ was why they came for security situations involving the heirs. Hearing the story by word of mouth was important.

Everyone in the room looked ready to grab a weapon. As if on cue, Snotlout stepped forward and locked eyes with Hiccup.

At long last, Adrianna finally calmed down enough to catch her breath. Hiccup gently pulled her back and looked in her eyes. "I want you to stay here with Erick. Talk to Mara. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Erick stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. She instantly turned into his arms.

"What are you going to do?" Erick asked.

Darkness enveloped the chief's eyes and he locked eyes with his council once again. "Don't worry about it."

With that, he turned and marched out the door, the rest of the council on his heels. In passing, Astrid told him, "We'll be back soon" before following her husband outside.

Erick held Adrianna tightly, drinking in the sudden silence for a moment. She seemed to be drained of energy, but Mara quietly stepped forward.

"Anna, I have a room for you next to Finn's, if you'll come with me."

Adrianna sniffed and straightened. She looked at Erick with bloodshot eyes for a moment before turning and following Mara to a room. The door closed behind them, leaving Erick, Cliff and Inga standing in silence in the main room.

* * *

The people parted for the chief and his entourage, bursts of anxious conversation rippling the crowds. Toothless pushed his way through the council members until he was walking in stride with his rider, both sets of green eyes sharp with rage.

"Find them." Hiccup instructed. "Search every house, every side street, the woods, do whatever it takes. I want all three of them found _now_."

"Yes sir."

The council members split into various directions on foot and took to the air. Astrid and Stormfly marched beside Hiccup and Toothless, eyes scanning the villagers milling the streets. Everyone steered clearing of Berk's leading couple, none too eager to get in their way.

"There are only so many hiding places." Astrid said. "What exactly do we plan to do when we find them?"

Her husband said nothing, almost as if he hadn't heard her.

Astrid faced forward once again, unholstering her axe when she heard shouting up ahead. Horst and Manny the Mad emerged from a nearby street, tackling Joel to the ground. The shaggy haired man stared up at the Haddocks looming over him with wide eyes.

"It was an accident, I swear!"

Astrid twisted her axe in her hand. "Tell me, was holding my daughter down an accident too?"

"Bring him." Hiccup said in a thin voice before walking past, Toothless on his heels.

Joel struggled against the councilmen as they yanked him off the ground and followed the Haddocks. Astrid tightened her hold on her axe handle, wishing she could split him in two right now.

It took less than ten minutes for Gustav to fly overhead with a swearing Frey dangling from Fanghook's claws. The Monstrous Nightmare practically threw the young man in front of the Haddocks. Frey scrambled to his feet and tried to back away, but was blocked by the Larson and his dragon.

"Found him in the woods." Gustav sneered.

Astrid took in the sight of Frey's emaciated face, his nose broken and dried blood all over his shirt. He'd clearly tried to wash his face of the blood, but with his broken nose, his cleaning job had been poor.

Hiccup's fists shook at his sides. "Looks like my daughter broke your nose for me."

Frey sneered. "Lucky me."

"Oh no," Hiccup breathed a laugh, leaning down to his level. "I've got much better plans for you."

Tuffnut and Gustav grabbed him under the arms and dragged him after the group.

"Find Cale." Hiccup turned to the growing crowds. "I want him found now!"

"I've got him!"

Astrid turned to see Snotlout shoving his nephew through the crowd with a knife at his throat and a strong hand on his collar. Cale glared at the Haddocks with an evil eye. Astrid's hands shook at the sight of her son's blood on the man's shirt.

Hiccup held his gaze for a few seconds before leading the way toward the docks. People ran to the edge of the wooden fences on the cliffs as the chief led his councilmen with the three men behind. Hiccup's footfalls were hard on the wooden planks before he stopped in front of the smallest rowboat. Joel and Frey's eyes were wide in shock; Cale's eyes merely flitted to the chief.

Frey and Joel were swiftly deposited into the boat. They struggled for a second to keep from toppling sideways into the ocean. Hiccup lashed out a hand at Cale's shirt, nearly cutting his hand on Snotlout's blade. He dragged the boy forward until they were nose to nose.

"I gave you a chance to live on my island peacefully" Hiccup sneered. "You just lost it."

With a vicious shove, Cale toppled into the boat between the two boys. Hiccup snatched the axe out of his wife's hand and, without warning, slammed the blade toward the belly of the boat.

Cale leapt back with a vicious curse as the wood splintered and water sprayed their feet. Joel and Frey gaped.

"Outcast Island is a four hour boat ride from here." Hiccup crooned in a smooth voice, handing the axe back to his wife. "You have two."

"Hiccup, you're insane!" Frey shouted, dodging the oars being thrown at them. Joel caught one against his chest, nearly falling backwards.

"Enjoy the Thunderdrums at the crags. They love a good meal late afternoon." Hiccup smiled.

Joel glared. "You've proven dragons don't eat people!"

Hiccup made a face up at the open sky. "Yes, people. Thunderdrums are smart and stubborn though; they know cruel, evil people when they smell them. So like I said. Have fun." With that, the chief turned around and walked back through the crowds.

"Hiccup!" Joel yelled. "I'm from Berk, you can't just banish me!"

The chief pulled Snotlout aside. "If they set foot on this island again, shoot them on sight."

"Done."

Astrid followed her husband up the walk, not wasting another second on worthless people. They didn't turn when their names were called or enjoy the satisfaction of watching them row away. The only pause they took was at the top of the stairs where Heather stood, watching her little brother's banishment with a blank expression.

She faced them, no judgment in her eyes. Only understanding and sorrow.

Hiccup rested a hand on her shoulder for a brief second before continuing on. Astrid gave her a tight-lipped nod and followed her husband back to the healers to sit with their ailing children.


	19. Oasis

The Haddocks didn't sleep that night.

For hours they sat by Finn's side, keeping watch as he lay motionless, except for the occasional twitch of his eyebrows and the rise and fall of his chest. Mara checked the wound repeatedly throughout the night. If there was one thing Hiccup hated, it was waiting.

After hours of staring into space and Astrid pacing, he finally stood and crept to Adrianna's room. He smiled wanly at the sight of Erick slumped at the edge of her bed, nearly falling out of his chair. Adrianna was curled up on her side, one arm tucked beneath her head, the other holding Erick's hand. If any good came of this, it was Erick's support.

The chief quietly grabbed a few blankets and lay one on each of the kids. Erick stirred for a second before relaxing again. Hiccup briefly considered waking him up and telling him to go home, get some comfortable rest; he decided against it, knowing that the boy wouldn't leave Adrianna.

He left the door cracked open and went back to Finn's room, leaning in the doorway as Astrid smoothed their son's hair and blankets for the millionth time. His skin had become clammy the last few hours as his body tried to heal itself. The wound had become an angry red around the stitches. Mara said as long as no fluid came from the wound and Finn didn't come down with a fever, things were alright.

His prosthetic squeaked and Astrid looked up at him. He hated that exhausted, terrified look in her eyes, accented by dark circles and a half done braid. With all that they'd been through together with their children, he'd begun to hope things wouldn't always be so hard, that things would slow down and their kids could have a normal life without something going wrong at every turn.

As soon as he'd thought that, he'd discovered the truth about Brandyn and how he'd mistreated his baby girl. Things hadn't slowed down since.

"Hiccup."

He met her eyes, wondering if the same haunted look was mirrored in his own eyes. Astrid pulled his empty chair closer to her and patted it gently. He sighed and joined her, taking her hand.

They sat side by side, watching their son breathe. Mara would be back soon to check the wound again. As calm and direct as the healer was, they could see in her eyes how tragic the ordeal was and that she too wished they weren't in this situation.

"I wish I wasn't the chief," Hiccup whispered. "So we could pack up the kids and just... go."

Astrid squeezed his hand, nodding. "That would be nice."

Hiccup didn't want to feel self pity for what had happened, but once again he found himself asking why his kids couldn't catch a break? It wasn't fair to belittle any losses and struggles other children and teenagers had faced, but he couldn't think of one that was this extreme. It seemed like a constant occurrence, a black cloud hanging over their heads and waiting to see where the lightning would strike next.

Astrid leaned into his chest and wrapped her blanket around them. "Adrianna?"

"Sleeping. Erick is still with her."

"Hm... I think if you hadn't banished them, Erick would have killed them himself."

"I think at this point we would have a riot on our hands. Too many people were tired of Cale and all of his issues. He had plenty of chances."

Astrid opened her mouth to reply when Finn suddenly stirred, a groan forcing its way out of his mouth. Instantly they were on their feet, looming over him.

"Finn?" Astrid asked, smoothing his hair back even as his face twisted in pain.

"What… happened…"

Astrid nearly cried with relief and kissed his forehead.

Finn exhaled shakily, feeling his side beneath the white wrappings. "Gods, did I break my ribs?"

Hiccup breathed a laugh. "Not quite, kiddo."

Astrid checked Finn's forehead for a fever and he turned away with a groan. "Ugh stop... smothering..."

"Astrid, let the boy breathe."

"He's done nothing _but_ breathe," Astrid replied, still playing with her son's hair. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got ran over by a wagon."

"Finn, I'm serious. Does your head hurt at all? Are you cold?"

"No. What happened?"

"What do you remember?" Hiccup asked gently.

Finn rubbed his eyes. "Um… I was… trying to stop Cale..." Suddenly his eyes snapped back open and he jerked to his elbows. "Anna-" He gasped at the pain lacing up his torso at the sharp movement.

"No, don't get up!," Astrid put her hands on his chest. She quickly checked his bandages to make sure there was no blood.

"Stay down, Finn." Hiccup said calmly, a hand on his shoulder. "The last thing you want to do is sit up right now."

"Now you tell me..." Finn hissed through the pain.

Hiccup glanced at the wrapped bandages. "Your sister is fine. Erick is sleeping with her." Finn lifted his hand from his face with an amused smile and Hiccup paused. "No, wait."

His son laughed, a sound that he nearly wanted to cry over. But he had to fix his blunder, even as Astrid rolled her eyes up at him.

"They're in the same room but not together."

Finn grinned despite the pain."Thanks, that really clears it up."

Astrid shook her head. "Sometimes Hiccup."

"No, you two shouldn't have such dirty minds."

"Yeah yeah," Finn sighed, eyes drooping already. "But she's okay?"

"Yes." Hiccup replied. "How did you know where she was?"

"I didn't…" Finn frowned. "I was looking for her to talk and was just passing through. I'm glad I found her."

"You saved her, Finn." Hiccup squeezed his son's shoulder. "I can't thank you enough."

"Don't, dad. She's my sister." Finn murmured, rubbing his eyes. "How long have I been here?"

"It's almost morning so not even a full day yet." Astrid replied gently. "Go back to sleep, Finn."

"Not while you guys are standing over me like a couple of creepers."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Listen to your mother."

Finn smirked. "But I like being a rebel."

"All the same," Astrid kissed her son's forehead once again. "You need to rest. Go to sleep."

Once he stopped fighting it, Finn was asleep within a minute. Astrid sighed and braced her forehead on her palm, shoulders shaking with relief.

Hiccup rested his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. "He'll be okay, Astrid. He'll be okay."

* * *

The healer's house was quiet when Adrianna finally stirred awake. The light filtering in through the thin curtains was grey with early morning air. Carefully, Adrianna rolled onto her back and stretched, wincing when her shoulder twinged painfully. She sighed and smiled at the sight of Erick slumped beside her on the bed, body half falling out of his chair, his hand loosely holding hers even in sleep. A thick blanket had slid down his shoulders and pooled around his waist.

With his face mashed into the crook of his elbow, he couldn't be comfortable. She almost wanted to wake him up and pull him beside her on the bed so he could at least be on a flat surface. Then again, he seemed to be fast asleep and hadn't noticed her wake up yet. Best to let him sleep for now.

Carefully, Adrianna brushed a wavy strand of hair out of his eyes. He looked so calm and peaceful when asleep, that calculating eye and slight pinch of his brow smoothed over. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him in such a quiet state.

Erick had stayed by her side all night, after Mara had cleared her and the baby and sent her to bed. He'd held her hand, smoothed her hair back and whispered quiet assurances in her ear until she'd succumbed to exhaustion. She didn't remember falling asleep. Apparently he'd never left.

The thought made her smile, despite what had happened yesterday. Of course she wished no more bad things would happen to her and her family, and even now she desperately wanted to know if Finn was okay, but it was an amazing thing to see Erick's willingness to stick around through thick and thin, no matter what.

She gently brushed her fingers through his hair, watching him sleep, thinking through everything that happened yesterday. Her father had banished Cale and the other two boys. She was shocked that he hadn't killed them for what happened, because it seemed like something her dad would do for nearly killing Finn and daring to lay a hand on her. But she supposed, even then, her father was (mildly) merciful. She knew, however, that if they ever set foot on Berk again, there would be no mercy left.

Erick deeply inhaled, a frown on his face as he reached up and grabbed the hand still playing with his hair. "'at tickles…"

Adrianna breathed a laugh, whispering back, "Sorry."

He groaned, stretching his neck with a wince. "Ow."

"You should have gone home."

Erick frowned at her. "I didn't want to."

"Yeah, but now you'll be uncomfortable all day." Adrianna said quietly.

"I'd rather be uncomfortable with you than comfortable at home not knowing if you're okay." Erick said, rubbing his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

Adrianna shrugged. "My arm is sore."

Erick brushed a finger against her eyebrow. "Your eye isn't as swollen. That's good."

"I've actually got a headache now that I think about it," Adrianna sighed, rolling over onto her back and stretching again. When she sighed and looked back up at him, his gaze was on her stomach. She glanced down, wondering if she was bigger than she'd been before, but no, she was still pregnant but not quite showing yet, so why was he looking…

"Do you want a boy or a girl?"

The question surprised her. Adrianna met his eyes quizzically, finding a small smile on his lips. She breathed a laugh again and shook her head. "I don't know… I think… I've always imagined it being a boy." Erick smiled wider, head resting against his open palm. "But I'd be fine either way."

"I can see a little you running around this time next year." Erick murmured, dragging his fingers up and down her wrist. Such a small touch to have her rapt attention.

Smiling, Adrianna twisted onto her side to lean onto her arm. "I guess we'll see."

"Yup," Erick agreed, his smile faltering. He twisted a strand of her hair around his fingers carefully, almost as if it would break.

Adrianna wondered why he suddenly looked so melancholy. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Erick shook his head. "You guys just scared me, that's all."

She frowned, the day before's events playing through her head once again. "Yeah… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault." Erick swiftly pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Maybe after this we can start over now. Maybe people will take a hint that you're not to be… mistreated."

Adrianna scoffed. "Because the rest of the Archipelago has learned from the mistakes of others."

"I know, but your dad has upped security. You're not going anywhere without a guard, plus me or Cliff."

"Great…" Adrianna sighed, blowing a hair out of her eyes. "Now I get babysitters."

Erick frowned. "Well, can you blame him?"

"Of course not," Adrianna replied, smoothing a wrinkle out of his shirt. She hid a smirk when he looked down to watch her hand on his chest. Respectful he may be, he was still a man after all. Erick liked to be touched, too. She twisted one of the buttons at his collar as she thought, trying to return her thoughts back to the topic at hand. "It will be fun to have my own little entourage."

Erick looked back up at her. "Oh, Finn will have his own too. Once he's allowed to leave."

"Yeah…" Adrianna frowned, dropping her hand to rest on his arm. She ignored the suspicious narrowing of his eyes when she traced circles around his bicep. "How is Finn?"

Erick swallowed, but shrugged. "I haven't heard anything in awhile. Maybe we should go ask."

"Yes," Adrianna slid to a sitting position, even while he stood and stretched. The edge of his shirt rode up to reveal his stomach and, grinning, Adrianna couldn't resist poking him right above his belly button.

"Gyah!" Erick jumped back, arms wrapped around his middle. "None of that now, this is serious."

Adrianna giggled and pulled open the already cracked door. By the time she opened the door to her brother's room, her smile and humor had evaporated. Astrid sat at the edge of Finn's bed, just as Erick had been. Her dad was passed out in a second chair nearby, a blanket tucked around him up to his chin. She smiled wanly even as she stepped closer to her mom and took in her brother's condition.

Finn was breathing evenly, but his skin seemed pale and clammy. He was shirtless except for thick white cloths wrapped around his torso and a few thick blankets. She gently rested the back of her hand to his cheek and winced. "He's warm."

"That's normal," Astrid said tiredly. "As long as he doesn't get a fever…"

"He looks better than I did," Erick murmured.

Adrianna glanced at him, remembering those long nights staying by his side with his leg injury. As if on cue, his prosthetic squeaked when he moved to pull Astrid's blanket back over her shoulders. She smiled up at him gratefully.

"Did he wake up at all?" Adrianna asked.

"A few hours ago," Astrid said, a small smile on her face. "He was a little disoriented, but… he was really worried about you."

Adrianna smiled, pulling his blanket up farther. "Daddy said last week that even if he can be a jerk sometimes, Finn would do anything for me. I didn't believe him after all the arguments we've had. But now I understand what he meant."

Astrid put an arm around her waist in a side hug. "He never stopped caring. He just has a hard time showing it sometimes with that big stubborn brain."

Adrianna and Erick laughed a little. Before anyone could comment further, a strangled whine from outside made them jump.

"What was…" Adrianna asked, turning toward the window in time to see a blue and green mass hurdle passed.

"AROOO!" The sound of claws on the front door made them simper.

"Zap…" Astrid murmured, glancing sadly at Finn. "She must have gotten out of her pen."

"AROOOOOOOO!" More scratching sounds at the door.

Hiccup stirred, instantly sitting up and rubbing his face. "Gotta get Zap…"

"No, it's okay, Hiccup," Erick said, already heading out the door. "I'll get her."

Adrianna smiled after him, grateful for his constant support. He'd sat with her all night and was going out of his way to help her parents. He truly was the best friend she could ever hope for.

"I'll go help," She said quietly, stepping out of the room.

"Adri, it's cold outside, you should stay in." Astrid stood.

"I'll be right back in, I promise. Maybe I can help calm her down."

"Alright…"

Adrianna stepped outside to see Erick talking to Zap. The Shockjaw kept whining and backing away from him, prancing in front of the healer's. She straightened when she saw Adrianna and tried to nose passed the young man.

"No wait, Zap…" Erick pushed against her shoulder, but the dragon wouldn't budge.

"Zappy…" Adrianna crooned, holding out her hands.

The Shockjaw sniffed her up and down, checking her favorite girl out for injuries. She even nuzzled her stomach for a moment before trying to push past her to the door.

"No, Zap." Adrianna said, helping Erick to keep her away from the door. "You can't go inside."

The Shockjaw tossed her head with an indignant growl.

"You can't, he's sleeping." Adrianna insisted.

"AROO!"

"Shh…" Erick hushed her gently. "It's okay, he'll be okay."

Zap's wings shimmered with pent up electricity as she hopped back, whining.

Adrianna's eyes burned. She'd never seen the dragon act this way. Then again, she'd never been separated from Finn for more than a few hours before. "Zap… Finn's okay. He'll be okay."

Zap howled and practically threw herself into the dirt, curling up into a ball and turning away from them. Erick and Adrianna blinked at each other, surprised by the cold treatment. Adrianna crept closer and gently rubbed the dragon's scales behind her ears, careful of her electrified wings mere inches away. But she knew the dragon wouldn't intentionally hurt her. She was only mourning, just like they were.

"It's okay, Zappy," Adrianna murmured. "Finn will be okay."

The Shockjaw didn't move or reply. She merely wrapped her tail around herself and stared at the window that led into Finn's room.

Erick slid his hands onto her shoulders. "Annie, you should go back inside."

Adrianna felt terrible for the dragon, but knew there was nothing else that she could do for her. Maybe her dad would know, being the Dragon Master and all. Silently she stood and allowed Erick to lead her back inside just as Mara came down the stairs.

"What are you doing out of bed? And outside?" Mara pointed to her room with a stiff finger. "Off you go!"

Adrianna obeyed, smiling when she heard Mara telling Erick that she thought with all his coddling last night, how he allowed her to get past him. Adrianna climbed into bed with a sigh, content to wrap herself in blankets and lay around all day. Maybe Erick could run to her house and bring her a book or something.

The soft pitter patter of rain against the window grabbed her attention and she frowned, feeling terrible that her brother's dragon was sitting in the rain, waiting for her boy to come outside and play like he did every morning.

* * *

"Erick," Adrianna moaned, "Would you still love me if I threw up right now?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Erick chuckled, rubbing her back while she hovered over a bucket.

"Because girls are supposed to be cute and pretty and not gross and pukey." She mumbled, wiping her mouth and moving the bucket far away. "I'll understand if you want to flee from me and find someone sexier."

"What if I find puking sexy?" He winked at her.

"Then I must be the sexiest woman alive." Adrianna moaned. "You don't have to be here."

This was true. Adrianna had told him he could go home and get some real rest, but he insisted on staying. Besides, they were still waiting for Finn to wake up. After all, if they were married, he wouldn't have an excuse to leave. He didn't want to leave her whether they were single or married. Well, not that this was practicing… was it? The thought made Erick's head spin a bit.

"I am happy to serve you any way you need."

"Can you have this baby for me?"

Erick laughed. "I wish, but I'm afraid my talents don't stretch that far."

Adrianna huffed and flopped back onto the bed with a huff, curling up onto her side with a pout. Her eyes fluttered shut when another bout of wooziness hit her. "I hate this."

He simpered and gently brushed her hair back away from her neck. "I'm sorry. It will be worth it one day." He bent down and gently kissed her forehead.

"Hmm…" Adrianna sighed, eyes still closed and seemingly boneless under his touch.

Erick swallowed, still brushing her hair back. How many years had he thought about doing this? How long did he wonder if he'd ever have the opportunity? He'd always had some kind of fixation on her hair, though he could never understand why.

He'd never seen Brandyn hold her like she was special. He'd never seen him give her a gift that she really wanted, and he'd never heard Brandyn tell her just how special she was. Not that their relationship was completely false and not that he thought Brandyn was _always_ a scumbag. Who knows why he decided to take the route he did. Erick didn't particularly care; he'd kill the guy the next time they crossed paths.

But since Erick first realized his feelings, all he wanted to do was make her happy. He knew he'd fail and she'd fail him sometimes. They weren't perfect. But he knew who she was and how she felt; he knew everything about her just as she knew everything about him. Nothing made him happier than seeing her smile and be truly happy. She'd been through so much. He was determined more than ever to make her happy. Adrianna Haddock's life would be miserable no longer.

Erick trailed his fingertips down her neck and she exhaled slowly with a contented hum. He didn't know what he was doing, but apparently it was helping her relax and ease her discomfort.

When the door suddenly opened, Erick retracted his hand, almost afraid of the expression Hiccup would give him if he saw them so close and him touching her. Not that he thought he was doing anything wrong, but after Brandyn, and now Cale, Joel and Frey, Erick doubted the chief wanted _anyone_ touching his daughter.

Erick was shocked to see his mother walk in the room. Her brow pinched when Adrianna groaned and sat up, muttering under her breath at the disruption. She too looked at the woman in surprise.

"Hi mom…" Erick hedged carefully.

"Erick." Lara's expression smoothed over. She took a single step closer, turning her eyes to the blonde sitting on the bed. "Adrianna. I wanted to apologize to both of you for my behavior these last weeks. It was not kind or mature for that matter, and I am sorry for believing the rumors." Lara sighed. "I tend to take people at their word and not investigate further. I should have spoken to you, Erick, instead of… assaulting you. I am sorry."

Erick wanted to be angry for the slap she'd dealt him, but he couldn't find it in himself to remain angry. The fact alone that his mother was willing to apologize to both of them face to face was good. She was willing to admit she was wrong. He couldn't ask for more.

"I forgive you, mom." Erick said.

Adrianna swallowed and finally reached out a hand. "Can we… start over?"

Lara smiled ever so slightly before taking the girl's hand in her own. In all the years of their friendship, Erick couldn't remember a time when his mother had held Adrianna's hand. "I'd like that, dear. Especially if things start to… progress." She smiled knowingly at her son.

Erick smiled sheepishly at the Adrianna, feeling a blush warm his cheeks.

Dropping Adrianna's hand, his mother sighed. "We'll have to discuss things with the family, at least to clear the air. Nikolas needs to apologize as well."

Frowning, he stared up at her. "Nikolas? For what?"

"Well, he's the one who told me that you two…" Lara waved a hand in the air. "Well it doesn't matter."

Erick heart leaped in his chest, a fire he didn't usually feel burning in his veins. He slowly stood, his prosthetic squeaking. "No. What did he say?"

Lara held his eyes and didn't reply. He could see that she didn't want the family to have anymore issues, that she wished she could take back the words she'd already begun to say. But he was smart enough to figure out what she was withholding. Now he knew just who'd started the rumors.

Adrianna gently grabbed his hand and squeezed. "Erick, it's fine." She murmured, trying to pull him back into his chair. "Just ignore it."

"No." Erick said quietly. "I can't let this one go." He released her hand and breezed past his mother, both females sputtering behind him. "I'll be back in a bit, Annie."

Lara followed him out the door. "Erick, don't do anything stupid."

Erick whirled on her, aware of the chief and Mara talking quietly nearby. Their conversation died when they saw the Larsons. "Mom, I've put up with his garbage my entire life. I've sat back, I've let it go, I've ignored it. I've even forgiven him. But _this_ ," Erick shook his head angrily. "There is no coming back from this."

With that, he turned and stalked out the door, leaving his mother standing in the healer's. He was halfway across the square when he heard jogging steps behind him.

"Erick!" Hiccup grabbed his arm, which he roughly jerked out of his grasp. "What's going on?"

"You should be with Finn." Erick snapped, incensed.

"Not when you look like you're going to kill someone," Hiccup replied calmly. "What's wrong?"

"You can't stop this one, chief." Erick growled. "Come along if you want but I'm not stopping until I say what I have to say."

"At least tell me where we're going."

"No."

With a sigh, the chief followed him. Erick didn't care how rash he was being, he didn't care if the chief didn't want any more bad things going on. He'd decided to follow and if he wouldn't turn back, then he'd have to watch the show. But Erick didn't plan to deal any blows. He just wanted to know _why_.

His older brother worked at the fishery, which was just down the road from the square. Erick descended the steps quickly, the step- _thunk_ of his gait matching the chief's as he followed close behind.

Erick heard the talking and laughter of the local fisherman in the hut before he saw them. He marched into the belly of the room, surrounded by large basins of fish and nets. The men's' conversation died down when they saw their chief walk in.

"Chief," A tall man strode forward, holding out a hand. "Good to see you. How's your son?"

"He's alright, Jarvis," Hiccup said.

Erick ignored their pleasantries, eyes scanning the room for his brother. "Where's Nikolas?"

The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow at the demand, but calmly pointed up the stairs. "He's up there gathering some nets- what's goin' on?"

Erick was already halfway up the ladder. He vaguely registered Hiccup telling the men to let him go, but he ignored everything else when he reached the top and saw his brother returning with a handful of netting in his arms.

Nikolas frowned, dark hair swept across his brow. "What are you doing here?"

"You're the one who started the rumor." Erick spat.

His brother rolled his eyes. "You really live for drama, don't you?" Nikolas tried to push past but Erick blocked his way. "Get out of the way, Erick."

"No." Erick growled. "Look me in the eye and tell me it wasn't you, and I will go away."

Nikolas glared, saying nothing.

Erick shook his head angrily. "Why?"

"I got my information right from the horse's mouth."

"What are you talking about!"

"I heard your argument with Finn before they left to go find Adrianna, after she took off!" Nikolas sneered.

"I can't believe you." Erick snapped, ignoring the sound of Hiccup coming up the ladder behind him. "That was a private conversation!"

"It's not my fault you were so loud."

"No, you purposely listened in on our conversation and twisted the information that you had no business knowing!" Erick yelled, stomping closer to his brother. "You had no right!"

Hiccup stepped closer to them. "Easy, Erick. We don't need to go to blows over this."

Nikolas smirked. "Yes, listen to the chief. Haven't you gotten in enough fights this year?"

Erick wanted nothing more than to punch his brother's teeth out right there, but obviously that would only prove them right. His body shook with rage, his heart ramming in his chest.

"Why would you do this to me?" Erick demanded. "You know I care about her. I'd _never_ do that to her. Why would you go around the village and spread that kind of thing?"

"It was stupid, I admit it!" Nikolas snapped. "Finn laid it all out. How else was I supposed to take it?"

Erick stepped in closer. "Do you know what they do to people who eavesdrop on the heirs?"

Hiccup frowned. "Erick-"

"Please, what are they going to do? It's not like it was over anything-" Nikolas stopped.

Both Erick and Hiccup glared at him.

"Want to finish that sentence?" Hiccup breathed.

Nikolas hung his head. "No sir."

"No," Erick sneered. "He doesn't have the guts."

Nikolas tossed his head. "At least I don't beat around the bush. You're the most wishy washy person I've ever met!"

"You want to hear it then? Fine! I love Adrianna! I want to marry her someday! I care about her more than anything in this world and I will not sit here and let YOU insult her! I would _never_ say something about Mel to anybody! I respect her more and I daresay I even respect _you_ a little more than that!"

Hiccup rested a hand on Erick's shoulder, trying to push him back. "Okay."

Nikolas scoffed. "So what about the kid? What do you know about raising kids?"

"I don't see any kids running around your ankles! I hope it never happens because you'd be a terrible parent!"

Hiccup jerked. "Erick!"

Hurt flashed in Nikolas's eyes. Erick didn't care. For once, his brother's hardened shell was breaking.

"You don't know _anything_ , Erick." Nikolas said through grit teeth. "You're just a stupid kid."

"You're right, I'm just a stupid kid. But at least I'm not a selfish jerk."

"Do not speak to me or my wife ever again." Nikolas sneered through grit teeth. "Don't expect help from us on your next crisis because we won't be there."

Erick scoffed, backing toward the stairs. "Like I've ever needed you for anything."

"Guys, come on." Hiccup said, even as Erick stomped down the ladder and left his older brother in the loft. He pushed his way through the dead silent crowd of men and stomped back up the planks toward the village. He ducked between the nearest rows of houses and barns, his breathing accelerating in his anger.

Finally with a scream of rage, he turned and slammed his arm into a wall. Pain laced up his forearm, but he didn't care. At the last second he knew not to hit the wall directly with his hand. He didn't want to break it. He leaned against the wall, palms flat, angrily staring at the ground.

A minute passed before he heard the step- _thunk_ in the grass. He heard nothing as Hiccup stood there and stared at him. Erick made no move to speak. He was sick of trying, tired of having a brother who cared nothing about the feelings and honor of others. He was _done_.

"You should not have said that."

Erick's anger returned. "I was standing up for Adrianna."

"I'm not talking about that."

Erick whirled around and faced the chief. "Which part then? The part where I haven't needed him a day in my life?"

"The part where you hope he never has children." Hiccup glared, patience wearing thin.

"It's true, he'd be the worst father-"

"Mel just had a miscarriage, Erick."

Erick stilled, the ire in his chest dimming. "What?"

Hiccup stared back at him, green eyes hard.

Guilt rose up in his chest. "When?"

"A couple of weeks ago."

Erick bit his lip and shook his head. "Another prime example of nobody telling me anything."

"Maybe they had a reason."

"There always is."

"Erick, knock it off." Hiccup finally snapped. "I understand standing up for yourself and my daughter. I appreciate that. But do you know what it is like to lose a child?"

The pain in his voice made Erick pause. Astrid had once told him about their miscarriage, the pain they'd gone through. How crushed Hiccup had been. He shook his head. "No."

"Then don't you _ever_ say that to someone again." Hiccup said in a deadly quiet voice.

Erick nodded, but couldn't help saying his next thought. "I hope you understand that I can't apologize for it. He wouldn't hear it if I tried."

Hiccup shrugged. "I can't force you to do anything. You're both adults, you do what you feel is right. Just understand that I will do what is best for my daughter, who you suddenly seem so passionate about marrying."

Erick froze. "W-well, I… we… haven't talked about anything specific. Outside of dating."

Hiccup's eyes were narrowed to thin slits, his arms crossed tight across his chest.

"I was going to talk to you soon, but after everything yesterday..." Erick sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Honest. We haven't planned on hiding anything. Like we could if we tried."

"Oh, I know that." Hiccup muttered gruffly.

Worry gnawed in the pit of his stomach. If he didn't have Hiccup's approval, then-

Hiccup sighed heavily. "Let's talk about this later. I want to check on Finn." He brushed passed Erick and left him standing in the alley.

"Yeah. Me too." Erick muttered to himself before turning and following the chief back to the healer's.

* * *

"Ba ba ba-ba babuh, ba ba ba-ba babuh," Cliff hummed a random tune as he pounded on his work desk with a few pencils. "My. Job. Is-so Bor-ing. My. Job. Is-so Bor-ing. My job. Is-so-"

"Cliff."

Embarrassed, Cliff swiveled in his chair and grinned at his annoyed boss. "Yes Horst?"

"Please stop."

"Okay." Cliff deflated. Literally, he deflated, his chin hitting his desk with a loud smack, his work tools clattering across the desk. "Ow."

Horst sighed from behind him. He could imagine his boss rubbing his eyes and pulling on his face like Erick did sometimes.

Erick. Man, he missed his man, his bruh, his brohsky. Life sucked when he was stucked in a horrid place such as this, with no one's ear to talk off (since Horst had literally threatened to tape his mouth shut before they even broke for lunch).

He basically had no work to do. Even with Erick taking a few days off to help with Adrianna and Finn, there was little work to do. Aunt Mara wouldn't let him inside the healer's to see if Adrianna and Finn were okay. He'd been told that Adrianna would be released today sometime, but still, he wanted to know if Finn was okay! He wouldn't do anything stupid! He just wanted to make sure he wasn't dying! At least so he could tell Zap that he was okay…

The poor dragon hadn't moved an inch all day. She'd been laying outside the window in the hot summer heat, unmovingly staring at the paned glass as if she was waiting for Finn to walk past at any second. Of course, he wouldn't.

Per Hiccup's instructions, he'd gotten a few buckets of salt water to pour over the dragon's scales while he was on his lunch break. The dragon survived best in wet locations, and since she refused to fly or leave the healer's, the chief was worried her scales would get too dry.

That had been the "most exciting" part of his day. Sitting around doing nothing with nobody to talk to. He was bored and stressed and gradually getting more irritated as the day wore on. It was hot and muggy and his curly hair wouldn't stay out of his eyes and dang it, if he had to stay silent for one more minute-

"Alright Cliff, get out of here."

Cliff nearly jumped out of his chair, almost toppling his desk. "Really?"

Horst stood with a sigh. "It's a thousand degrees in here and we haven't had work in hours. Let's go home early, check on the Haddocks."

"SWEET THANKS HORST!"

Cliff didn't wait to hear a response. He bolted from the leather shop before Horst could change his mind. He ran to the healer's and pounded on the door. "Aunt Mara! Let me in!"

A muffled response: "No, Cliff."

"Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down!"

The door swung open to reveal his very tired, very irritated aunt. "This is not a game, Cliff."

"I know that!" Cliff said, throwing out his arms in his angst. "I will wash my hands and arms, I'll do whatever you want. I won't even breathe for ten whole minutes. I just want to see if he's okay. Please?"

Mara tightened her hold on the door. "Cliff. I can't risk Finn getting _any_ infection."

Cliff sighed, completely crestfallen. He never cried, but he seriously wanted to cry.

His aunt's shoulders dipped before she released the door. For a second he thought she was letting him in, but instead she wrapped him in a hug.

"I know you're worried about your friend, Cliff." Mara said, pulling back and holding eye contact. "But he's more than just a friend. He's our future chief."

Cliff nodded.

"He's been sleeping most of the day. He woke up early this morning but I wasn't there to talk to him. I need to know without a shadow of a doubt that he'll be alright before I allow visitors in. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I will contact you when you can see him."

Cliff sighed, rubbing his eyes roughly. "Okay."

Mara patted his arm before turning and closing the door, leaving him on the porch alone.

Cliff sighed again and walked around the side of the house. He was surprised to see Hiccup there gently talking to Zap, who was pointedly ignoring the man. Toothless stood on her other side, rumbling at her sympathetically.

"Hey chief."

Hiccup glanced up at him. "Hey Cliff." The chief held up a large fish in front of the Shockjaw's face. "Come on, Zappy. You have to eat something."

Zap stirred, but only to twist her face away from the fish. A low, sad moan rumbled in her throat as she stared at the window once more.

Hiccup sighed and rubbed her scales. "I know, girl. I know."

"Is he okay?" Cliff asked tentatively, despite his aunt's words a mere minute ago.

The look on Hiccup's face as he gently stroked zap's snout nearly broke the teenager's heart. "He's fighting a fever."

Cliff felt like his chest might collapse in on itself. He didn't know what they'd do if Finn didn't… no. Finn would be okay. He was always okay in the end.

Toothless leaned over her and pressed his nose against Zap's temple. Without warning, she twisted and lashed out against the Night Fury, wings shimmering with an electric pulse. Cliff gasped when Hiccup leaped away and shoved his body in front of Cliff.

Toothless slowly backed away with his wings angled down, his head reclined toward the ground. Zap growled at him again and still the Night Fury backed away.

"What's he doing?" Cliff breathed.

"Asserting her dominance." Hiccup whispered back. Zap swiveled toward them and the chief tensed. "No sudden moves."

The Shockjaw growled low in her throat at them. Nearly a minute passed before Zap finally snapped her jaws at them, curled up against the dirt and plopped back into her previous seat to stare at the window.

Cliff swallowed hard. He'd never seen his friend's dragon act like that. Even though she'd gone back to pointedly ignoring them, he could still see the shimmer beneath her wings and the tenseness of her muscles.

"Okay," Hiccup murmured. "Back away slowly."

Cliff obeyed and within a few moments, they were a safe distance away. When they reached the front of Mara's house, they collectively sighed. A moment later Toothless joined them, shaking his thick hide.

"You okay, bud?" Hiccup asked, inspecting his dragon's face.

Toothless snorted and sniffed Cliff up and down as if to check for injuries. Once satisfied that the boy was unharmed, the Night Fury turned and stalked off, clearly finished with the situation.

Cliff wiped his sweaty face on his sleeve. "I've never seen Zap so aggressive."

"All she cares about right now is Finn." Hiccup sighed. "Don't approach her anymore. I'll take care of her from now on."

"What if she attacks you?" Cliff asked nervously.

"She won't."

"How do you know?"

"If she wanted to attack us, she would have." Hiccup said patiently. "She's just afraid and angry."

Cliff sighed, nodding in agreement. He stared sadly at the house. Zap wasn't the only one who wanted in.

The chief seemed to notice his distress. "Finn will be okay."

A stray curl dropped into Cliff's eyes and he tossed his head forcefully. "I hope so."

"He will be." Hiccup turned and faced the rest of the village. "Why don't you find something fun to do?"

Cliff frowned. "The people I usually hang out with are in there."

"Surely there's someone else out here who could use a little spontaneity?" Hiccup smiled.

Cliff looked around the village, eyes scanning the various people out and about at this hour. Nothing struck him as inspiring until he saw the seamstress's house and he brightened.

"I do believe that there is someone else out there who could use a little spontaneity!" He grinned at the chief before taking off down the street. "Thanks!"

He thought he heard a laugh from the chief as he left, but he kept moving toward Grandma Ingerman's house, now excited to see what fun was in store for him today.

* * *

Taryn lifted the almost finished basket in her hands to inspect her work. With a grimace, she continued her weaving, sparing only a glance at Berk's head seamstress when she pointed out a flaw.

"You must twist that section there, loop it down and under… there. A few more twists and your basket will be complete!"

Taryn chewed her lip as she worked, while Grandma Ingerman bustled about the room and inspected Morgan's work. The other girl hadn't been working at the seamstress's shop long, but the work seemed to keep the formerly frivolous girl in check. Taryn herself had taught the other girl sewing and had even given her some pointers in cooking.

It was a little strange to hang out with Morgan, who used to be such a mean girl in the village, back when she dated Cale. Even before she'd dated Cale. But since their relationship had ended due to him cheating on her with Dana, Morgan had seemed to have taken a reality check and reevaluated her friendships.

Taryn held up her finished basket with a satisfied sigh. Her fingers were red from twisting the reeds most of the day, but she was proud of herself. Grandma Ingerman taught her many things-cooking, cleaning, baking, weaving, amongst other things.

Initially her parents had gotten her the job with the seamstress because a young woman needed to be "molded into the role of spouse and mother". While Taryn wanted those things very much, she'd been a bit put out by the idea when she was thirteen. She wished she could go out and play with all the other kids. She was tired of dresses and tight braids and uncomfortable boots. For once she wanted to let her hair down and just _breathe_.

She'd adjusted into the role easier than she'd expected. Grandma Ingerman loved teaching young women and adored having them in her shop. She treated them as if they were her own daughters. The robust woman always had a smile on her face and put in a good word to everyone she met. She always offered good advice and made the BEST brownies in the Archipelago. Even Finn couldn't refute that (and he made surprisingly good brownies).

Morgan huffed and flopped back in her chair, eyeing Taryn's finished basket. "How can you have finished that thing already? We've only been sitting here since lunch."

Taryn set her basket beside her chair with a small smile. "You're still learning."

"It's so pretty!"

"Oh no," Taryn laughed, pushing hers underneath her chair behind her feet. "It's terrible. It has plenty of flaws."

"Don't be ridiculous, you're good at everything you do." Morgan pouted.

Taryn snorted. "At least you know how to flirt with boys."

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Such an admirable quality."

"Now now, Miss Morgan," Grandma Ingerman said from her rocking chair, her fingers flying through her weaving even as she looked at the girls. "You do too have many bright qualities. You're a lovely young woman, just as Taryn is. Any young man would be proud to have your hand."

Morgan pursed her lips. "I'm tired of boys."

Taryn smiled at her sympathetically.

The Ingerman matriarch sighed. "Yes, I don't blame you. But keep your chin up, dear. Keep learning the trade and making new friends worth keeping. One day one of these boys will mature up and sweep you off your feet. I guarantee it."

Morgan's lips quirked in a small smile. Taryn couldn't help smiling herself as she reached for a handful of reeds to start another basket.

Footsteps sounded outside the door then suddenly changed to a scuffle, followed by a body hitting the ground and the sound of baskets clattering against the porch. The girls snickered at the sound of a strangled yelp before the door swung open wide to reveal Cliff, who had a small basket on his head with the handle caught around his chin like a helmet.

"Ladies! I have arrived!" Cliff proclaimed with arms open wide. He stepped inside and nearly tripped on the other basket stuck around his ankle.

Morgan slumped with a loud whine. "Awwww Cliff! I just finished that one yesterday!"

"Oh gods, I am so sorry!" Cliff lifted his foot and scrabbled for the basket, hopping backwards and getting it stuck on his boot every time he pulled. "I'll fix it-WHAAAAA!"

The boy flew onto his back, landing amongst a pile of sewing materials. A loud crash sounded when all sorts of baskets of cloth and thread and newly weaved baskets crashed to the floor.

"Goodness!" Grandma Ingerman hopped from her chair, weaving forgotten and joined Taryn in aiding the boy to his feet. "Are you alright, my boy?"

"Oh yes! I'm fantabulous!" Cliff grinned, yanking the basket off his foot at last. "I have to say: That was sew close."

Taryn blinked and then snorted loudly, even as Morgan groaned. "That was punny."

"I always told you I was a…" Cliff wiggled his eyebrows, lifting the broken basket. "Basket case!"

Grandma Ingerman joined Taryn in laughter.

Morgan frowned. "I'm going to sew your lips shut."

"Well that wouldn't be very ice." Cliff said with wide eyes, pointing to a nearby jar of water with ice cubes floating at the rim.

"Ohhhh I'll show you ICE!" Morgan stomped to her feet.

"Now, Morgan, what do we ladies do when we're annoyed?"

"Besides knock out stupid boys?"

"Yes, besides knock out _cute_ and _adorable_ boys." Grandma Ingerman smiled as she hugged Cliff around the shoulders and held him close.

Cliff gasped and flung his arms around the woman. "I do love a good hug."

Taryn covered her mouth with her hand to fight the wide grin. Cliff was such a goof and so much fun, and so unbelievably clumsy, she could hardly understand how he'd lived this long without obtaining any serious injuries.

Morgan uncrossed her arms with a huff and walked away. "Oh nevermind. I'll get a broom."

"Good idea, dear." Grandma Ingermann said, stepping back from Cliff and looking him up and down for injuries. "What can I do for you, my boy?"

"Ah well," Cliff began. "I am in search of someone to share in an adventure."

Taryn snorted when Grandma Ingerman gasped. "Really now? Pray tell, who might you ask to join you on this grand adventure?" Taryn began to pick up rolls of cloth and reorganized some of the baskets while they talked.

"Well, I thought I'd ask a certain auburn haired girl who is a friend of mine."

"Ohhhh sounds like fun! I wonder what she'll say!"

"I don't know, I guess we'll have to wait and see what she says!"

Taryn smiled, still picking up the mess of things around them, waiting to hear the rest of their conversation. The room was silent for a few moments before Cliff whispered, "How long do you think it will take her to realize we were talking about her?"

Taryn blinked and turned back to them in surprise. Cliff and her boss were standing there with equally teasing smiles on their faces. "Wait, me?"

"Well yeah, cuppycake, you're the only auburn haired friend I have!"

Taryn raised an eyebrow. "Cuppy… cake?"

"Yes, I just called you a cupcake." Cliff leaned in real close as if to share a secret. "It's a term of endearment."

Morgan scoffed nearby as she swept.

Taryn blushed and turned away, fighting a smile. "What kind of adventure would you like to embark on, Cliffster?"

Cliff smirked at the name. "I dunno. Let's go hunting for trolls or hunt for seashells or raid the chief's Terror house!"

"Yeah, Erick did that once, I don't think we want to repeat that…"

"Oh yeah, that's right… Ma bruh used to be so adventuresome, before he got his head stuck up in the clouds full of fantasies of-"

"Adrianna?" Morgan muttered.

Grandma Ingerman cleared her throat.

"Sorry."

"Anyway I dunno, whatever you want to do!" Cliff shrugged. "I'll even challenge you to a Chubby Bunny contest if you want."

"Ah no thanks," Taryn winced. "That's disgusting."

Cliff's silver grey eyes narrowed with challenge. "One day, Taryn Brand, I will challenge you to a Chubby Bunny contest and you will partake in said contest. And _win_."

Her boss crowed with laughter across the room, as if the idea amused her. It must have because her face flushed pink. "I think my Taryn would much rather go starfish fishing, Cliffie."

"Ohhh good idea!"

Taryn paused in surprise. "How does one go… starfish fishing?"

Cliff giggled in sudden excitement. "Ohohohohohoho I will show you! As soon as you get off work."

"Which will be now." Grandma Ingerman promptly announced. "Go on girls, you can have the rest of the day off."

Morgan dropped the broom with a thankful sigh. "Thank you." She quickly retrieved the broom and returned it to its rightful place.

"Wahoo!" Cliff exclaimed. "Our bosses are quite generous today."

"Aw but Grandma, are you sure?" Taryn asked unsure, looking around the messy shop. Cliff glanced around at the mess sheepishly. "You shouldn't have to clean up all by yourself."

"Dear, I've been cleaning homes my entire life, I don't mind doing it one more time." The old woman smiled and ushered the duo to the door, Morgan on their heels. "Go on, have fun!" To Taryn, she bent down and whispered in her ear, "Take advantage of good opportunities, dearie. This one's a keeper!"

Taryn blushed as the old woman pushed the trio off the porch and shooed them away to have "grand adventures". Morgan bid them goodbye and promptly began walking away.

"You don't want to come?" Cliff called after her.

Morgan gave him a wan smile and shook her head. "That's okay, Cliff. Thanks though."

Cliff paused, then brightened. "I'll bring you back a starfish, okay?"

The blonde smiled at his kindness and nodded once. "Thanks. I'll look forward to it." Morgan turned and walked into the village, hands in her pockets and blonde curls bouncing on her shoulders as she went.

Taryn turned a look up at him, her heart warm. He was so tall, Cliff had to nearly look down at her, but his smile was bright.

"That was nice of you."

"Yeah well," Cliff shrugged. "She hasn't had it easy the last few months, what with… Cale and everything." His tone was bitter. She could almost read his thoughts, as if he was thinking of Finn. Cliff shook himself and smiled again. "Morgan deserves some kindness too. She's one of us now."

Taryn smiled warmly and followed him down the path toward the outskirts of the village. She wondered at his words. Did he like Morgan? She didn't want to overthink things and overanalyze, but she had to wonder at least a little bit. Should she ask? Grandma Ingerman was always telling her to be brave and not be afraid to speak her mind, especially where boys were concerned. Boys could take every little thing at face value and get just as easily confused as girls, so a girl should never be afraid to speak her mind.

She smirked when he purposely wove between barrels and nearly tripped over his own feet in the process. "You're so clumsy."

"That I am!" Cliff grinned, catching himself on a barrel before he face-planted. "Life is more fun that way."

"Except when you spill coffee on your shirt."

"Hey, rude." Taryn snickered at his pout. "I don't know why I was even drinking that. I don't even like coffee!"

"Because Finn dared you to a drinking contest and we weren't yet seventeen so coffee was the next best thing."

"Oh yeah." Cliff nodded. His thick brown curls bounced in every direction as he walked. The day's humidity seemed to make his hair stand taller usual.

"Where are we going?" Taryn finally asked.

Cliff smiled mischievously as he took a turn down the docks. She followed him down the planks and gazed at the open ocean for a moment, wondering where her little brother Alton might be. He'd been out traveling with Johann for most of the year and they hadn't received any Terror Mail from in quite some time. As Berk was the one of Johann's most important stops on his trade route, she knew they would come o Berk soon. Turning back to Cliff, she smiled when he stopped at the fishery's shop, nearly throwing himself on the countertop in an outrageous pose.

"Gentleman! I have a great and powerful need, and I am in need of your services!" He proclaimed with a wild grin.

"Hello Cliff." The men of the fishery drawled without amusement. One reached over and tossed him a bag, which squelched on the countertop.

Taryn's nose wrinkled. "What… is that?" Cliff opened the pouch briefly to reveal several tiny fish. "Ew. What are we going to do with that?"

"I know it smells unsavory, but no worries. Would I really lead you astray?"

"You did get trapped in the mountains with Erick once."

Cliff rounded back to the snickering fisherman. "Be quiet, Phil!"

"And the time you got stuck in a tarpit up to your waist and the chief had to pull you out with Toothless?" The men chortled even as Cliff's face turned a deep shade of red.

Taryn tried to hide her grin. "When was this?"'

"Nevermind…" Cliff murmured, turning away from all the teasing. He paused for one moment before waving his arm wildly over his head. "HI DAD!"

Taryn turned and waved at Mr. Smedley, who'd just arrived from the back with a large basket of cod in his arms. The dark-haired man nodded at them both in greeting.

"Ya know dad, you should really get a better hold on your staff." Cliff commented, throwing a careful stink eye over the men. "They've become quite lazy in their efforts."

"Oy!"

"Hey no, that's not even true."

Mr. Smedley merely smiled and tossed Cliff another small bag of fish. "Get out of here, kiddo. Have fun." He winked at Taryn playfully before turning back to his table.

Taryn blushed and followed her friend back down the gangplanks. Cliff's embarrassment seemed to have passed, but she couldn't help but ask: "Trapped in a tar pit?"

Cliff sighed, leading her down a steep incline toward the beach. "I was eleven. I was bored and wanted to go out and have some adventure, so I trekked into the woods by myself. Well, Edna was there." Taryn nodded at the reference to his beloved Gronckle. "Anyway, I was so engrossed in my explorations that I stepped right into the tar pit. Lost my balance and got the other foot stuck… Edna went and got my parents, who went and got the Chief… Yeah…"

Taryn knocked him in the ribs with her elbow. "I'm glad they got you out."

Cliff bumped her back with a grin. "Me too! Sadly it still took a week for all the tar to come off…" He pouted. "Kids called me Tar Feet back then."

"That sounds tar-ible!" Taryn looked up at him with wide eyes, laughing when he smirked back.

"Don't sTARt."

Taryn laughed and together they tossed puns and stupid jokes back and forth as they walked along the beach. The waves crashed along the shore and slid up the wet sand close enough to touch their boots. Taryn was glad she'd worn pants and a looser top today. Her parents always insisted she wear nice clothes to be presentable, but on occasion they'd allow her to wear more casual clothes. She wondered what they would think about this little impromptu expedition… with a boy...

The idea of going anywhere outside their permission with a boy gave her a slight thrill of fear and maybe a dash of rebellion. She never did anything without her parents' knowledge, and she trusted Cliff. He'd never hurt a butterfly, let alone another person. He loved nature and people; sure he was a little scatterbrained and wild, but he wasn't a bad guy. So her parents had nothing to fear.

Despite the fun she was having with Cliff, however, she still had no idea where they were going.

Soon enough a large stack of black rock emerged in the distance. Bags of fish in hand, Cliff bounded towards it and clambered up. He dropped the bags and held a hand toward her.

"Come on! It's just over the edge."

Taryn eyed his hand skeptically. He lightly rolled his eyes, wiped it on his pants to remove the fish grime that had leaked through the bags, and held it back out to her. His fingers were long and thin, his fingertips stained brown from working leather. Yet his eyes were alight with mischief and excitement.

She took his hand and he carefully pulled her up onto the rock beside him. After recollecting the bags, he skipped to the other side and slid down the edge. Taryn shook her head and followed, stopping at the edge with a gasp.

"Welcome to my secret little oasis!" Cliff exclaimed from the sand.

Taryn had never seen so many ocean creatures in one place. The black rock was shaped into a horseshoe that merged with a shallow pool of water. Swimming in circles were dozens of little fish of various colors; starfish and sea cucumbers collected on the rocks underwater; the occasional sting ray swam through the miniature cove, wings pumping as if in flight.

Cliff grinned as she finally reached down and took his outstretched hand. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful!" Taryn stepped closer in awe. "When did you find this?"

"About a year ago." He paused. "I've actually never shown this place to anyone before…"

"No?" Taryn turned in surprise. "Not even Grandma Ingerman?"

"Oh, she's the one who taught me how to go 'starfish fishing'," Cliff shrugged his fingers in mid-air. "But that was just down on the beach somewhere. I bring her starfish and conch shells sometimes."

"Oh." Taryn turned back to the little oasis and watched the multi-colored fish swim around.

Cliff knelt down beside the water and opened a bag of fish. "Come here."

Taryn sat criss-cross beside him and grimaced when he pulled out a handful of fish. He stretched out on his belly and plunged his hand into the water. Taryn watched in fascination as a stingray swam over and fluttered over his hand. A moment later it swam away, the fish gone.

"Whoa, cool!" Taryn leaned forward eagerly.

"Do you want to try?"

"Oh no!" Taryn backed away with a soft laugh. "I couldn't."

"Why not?" Cliff asked.

"Because that's not really… my thing…" Saying the words sounded wrong, even to her. Why exactly couldn't she do it? Because it was something new and different and completely out of her comfort zone?

"Your parents aren't here, you know." Cliff said gently.

Taryn looked at him in surprise.

"You don't have to put up a false pretense for my sake. At least not when we're alone." Cliff smiled up at her kindly.

Butterflies burst in her stomach in that moment. She didn't know why but she found herself smiling and brushing her bangs out of her eyes in a shy gesture, like she couldn't hold eye contact for long. Not when he was looking at her in that bright, innocent way.

Heart banging in her chest, she nodded toward the bag of little fish. Cliff smiled and pulled one out to drop into her hand. Repulsion hit her and she yanked back her hand. "Wait, wait, wait! Maybe… maybe not."

Cliff laughed. "What? You're not afraid of a little fish oil, are you?"

"I'll smell like fish!"

"I always smell like fish. My dad's the manager of the fishery."

"Yes, I know."

"Hey!"

Taryn laughed. "Fish are gross!"

"Hmph! Okayyyy, guess you can watch me have all the fun!" Cliff winked and fed the stingray another fish. A second sting ray swam in faster and tried to take the fish from the first, but it was quickly snatched up. "Unless you want to take a leap of faith and feed this big guy?"

Taryn swallowed, staring down at the bag of slimy fish with disgust. Gingerly she reached in and grabbed a fish by the tip of a fin. It's grey eyes stared at her with a dead expression and she swallowed hard.

Cliff snickered. "Relax, it's already dead. It won't bite."

Biting her lip against a squeal, Taryn hung the fish over the water. She didn't want to hold the fish in her hand, but she knew she was doing this wrong. With a hard swallow, she closed her hand around the fish. But suddenly she was afraid to place her hand in the water. Surely if she could handle dragons she could handle a few sea creatures, right?

Cliff watched her deliberations with a small smile. Finally he breathed a small laugh and placecd his hand over hers. "Here." Gently he pushed her hand down into the water, which was strangely warm on her skin. The silt brushed against her fingertips when Cliff turned her hand palm up, the fish facing the surface. "Now relax your grip."

Taryn did as she was told and watched a stingray turn and swim toward her. She tensed as it came closer but Cliff held her hand firm under water, his other hand braced at her elbow. "Relax. It will swim right over your hand and take the fish."

Right on cue, the stingray fluttered over her hand, causing her breath to hitch in surprise when the creature's soft, blubbery flesh tickled her palm. The fish disappeared from her hand in a moment and the animal flapped away once again.

Taryn laughed, watching it go. "Wow…"

"Just like feeding a Terror, huh?"

She grinned at him to find him staring at her with a matching grin. That's when she realized he was still holding her hand beneath the glassy water.

Taryn pulled her hand away and selected another fish from the bag. She could tell from her periphery that he was still watching her, but he finally turned back to the bag and picked out a couple fish himself.

They lay side by side for a while feeding the stingrays until at long last, both bags were empty.

Sitting up with a wince, Taryn brushed the gritty sand and black rock from her forearms. "Now what?"

Cliff sat up and began pulling off his boots. She watched in surprise as he shed his socks as well and began rolling his pant legs up.

"What are you doing?"

"Star fish fishing!" Cliff leaned in close and shrugged his eyebrows mischievously. "Amongst other things."

Whilst he stood, Taryn fought the flurry of butterflies that rose in her stomach once again. Since when did Cliff, goofy, mischievous, dorky Cliff, flirt? Before she gathered the courage to ask or come up with a reply, Cliff stepped into the water and gestured for her to follow.

Taryn blinked in surprise. "You want me to go… in there?"

Cliff snorted comically. "After feeding stingrays, you still have two arms."

"Well yes, but you want me to go _into_ the creatures' territory!"

"Yes. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Taryn chewed inside her cheek pensively, looking all around the sand beneath the water. She hadn't seen anything amiss since they'd arrived a while before. But that didn't mean anything gross with eight legs wasn't hiding under the sand… or in the shadowy places where she couldn't see…

"I don't think I can."

Cliff raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Why not?"

"Because I'll get my pants wet."

"Roll them up like I did."

"Yours are still getting wet!"

"Only on the edges," Cliff shrugged. "What's a little salty water?"

"I don't like salty water."

"Taryn, come on," Cliff's expression was very amused. "That's bogus and you know it."

Taryn made a strangled noise in the back of her throat and looked away. The sound of water splashing across the rocks sounded in her ears as Cliff returned to her side.

"Why don't you want to come in?"

"I just… don't want to…" Taryn mumbled. Try as she might, she couldn't avoid his gaze.

Cliff raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you _really_ want to come in?"

Taryn didn't want to admit it out loud because it was stupid. Honestly, she _did_ kind of want to go in, but the fear of little crustaceous creatures crawling beneath her bare skin made her skin crawl.

"You know why I brought you here out of all the places we could have gone?" Cliff asked. Taryn shook her head with a wry smile. "Because, as weird as it might sound, there's nobody watching. I don't want you to feel pressured or forced into acting a certain way. I want you to be able to relax and be yourself and… have fun. That being said," He smiled with a small shrug. "I'm not going to force you to go in. I wouldn't do that to you anyway. But like I said earlier, you don't have to keep a stiff upper lip with me, Taryn. Just… be you."

Taryn's heart swelled. That's all she really wanted at the end of the day, wasn't it? She was tired of long dresses, tight buns and pinchy boots. She was tired of perfect posture and small meal portions and proper etiquette. She loved her parents very much, but they didn't see yet that this wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be free to make choices or hang out with friends or do random things on a whim. She wasn't a failure or a disgrace to their parentage if she strayed from the norm.

Cliff understood that. He was the opposite of what her parents wanted; they wanted calm, collected, hard-working and proper. She didn't know why… They hadn't always been like that. Her big brother Curt hadn't been that way; he'd married Aud Larson, a very unethically, untraditional kind of woman. Up until the day he died, he'd been nothing but a playful joker, serious when needed but effervescent, spontaneous, and free.

Her eyes suddenly burned and Cliff's expression changed. "What's wrong?"

Taryn shook her head with a small laugh. "Nothing! You didn't do anything, it's just… you remind me of my brother sometimes."

Cliff's face softened. He didn't reply, only smiled at her gently.

With a deep breath, Taryn reached down and began taking off her boots. From here on out, she'd be more adventurous. Little by little, she'd do more with her life than sit still and cook and clean. She wanted to be a wife and a mother, but she wanted more out of life than that. She wanted to enjoy it, like Curt had. Like Cliff did. And starting today, she was going to do just that.

Cliff silently watched her remove her boots and socks and roll up her pant legs. Her mother would probably be having a conniption right now, but she swallowed against the urge to leave her pant legs down. They were legs; everyone had them. Surely Cliff wasn't thinking anything disgraceful over her ankles and calf muscles. Besides, in her heart, she knew this was a growing moment, not an act of rebellion.

Setting her bare feet against the rough rock, she sighed, pursing her lips. With a brave nod, she turned to Cliff and said, "I'm afraid of crabs. That's why I didn't want to go in before."

Cliff continued to stare at her for a long moment, deep in thought. She wondered if he perceived more of her inner struggle and decision than she'd realized.

Finally a small smile spread across his face and he laughed a little. "A valid fear. However, I've yet to see any crabs in this area."

Taryn swallowed. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Cliff stood, dropping his legs back into the water with a splash. He held out a hand with a grin. "Coming?"

Nervously, Taryn took his hand and slowly slid her feet into the water.

* * *

When Taryn took his hand and stepped in beside him, she let out a small gasp and clung to his arm in a white-knuckled grip, wide eyes darting around the waters. Cliff was completely okay with this because while she was looking down, he could look at her.

He didn't know what had happened in the last ten minutes, but something had changed. No longer did he feel simple kindness and friendliness toward her. His heart was thumping in his chest a mile a minute and every time her hands tightened on his bicep, some manly part of his genetic makeup went haywire. Something protective and caring and… dare he say, proud?

Yes, he decided. It was pride. To see his friend Taryn battle within herself about what she wanted, and then decide to just go for it, was truly something to behold. For years he'd known her to be right at her parents' side, always cautious and always demure and calm and patient. Not that he disliked those things; it was admirable. But lately he'd come to realize that maybe, just maybe, Taryn Brand wanted more out of life than that.

That was why when the Chief had told him to find a friend to hang out with today, he'd gone straight to Taryn. And then Grandma Ingerman practically shoved the girl out the door. It was his prime chance to do something spontaneous and fun with her that wasn't completely over the top. Of course she'd shown lots of caution and kept asking questions. Clearly she wasn't used to the element of surprise. But it was a gamble and he would take it one day at a time. So far she hadn't shied away and run back home. She hadn't left him yet. In fact, she was doing just the opposite!

Cliff had to fight the wild grin as they walked through the miniature lagoon. As much as he loved feeling her holding onto his arm like this, he gently pulled out of her grasp. He laughed when her eyes went as wide as saucers but he quickly turned around and took her hands in his while he walked backwards.

"It's okay, I'm not going anywhere." He himself was surprised at how gentle his voice sounded.

"I swear, Cliff," Taryn said through gritted teeth. "If I step on a single crab-"

"You'll get crabby?" Cliff grinned.

Taryn fought the smile, but her eyes still crinkled with held back laughter. "Shut up."

Cliff smirked back. "Sorry, that was shellfish of me."

"Oh my gods-"

"You know what my favorite kind of fruit is?" Cliff asked, raising his eyebrows.

Taryn frowned, surprised at the sudden change in topic. If only she knew… "No."

Cliff leaned in close. "Crabapples."

"Oh you big-" Without warning Taryn screamed and nearly jumped into his arms. Cliff gasped and looked down to see one of the stingrays swimming past her legs, one of its wings undulating across the surface.

"Don't touch the tail! Hold still, Taryn, I've got you!" Cliff lifted her off her feet and spun her around far away from the creature. Taryn stared up at him with wide eyes-he wasn't sure if it was her fear of the stingray or because he'd lifted her clear off her feet without a problem. She was surprisingly lighter than he'd expected.

"Sorry," Taryn stepped back, releasing her tight hold on his shirt. "It scared me."

"It's okay. Just don't touch their tails; they sting."

Taryn nodded resolutely.

Cliff looked down and spied a starfish and a few sea cucumbers nearby. He bent at the waist and carefully picked up the starfish, holding it out to her. "Want to hold it?"

Taryn's fingers curled into her palms. "Erm… does it move?"

"Not usually. They're quite docile." Cliff wagged his eyebrows at her teasingly and held it out to her again.

Gingerly, Taryn took the starfish and once again, surprise took over her features. The expression was quickly growing on him-the way the analytical, cautious side of her would melt away and her features would smooth over to marvel over something new. It was almost like seeing a completely different person.

Realizing he was staring (again), Cliff shook himself and searched for a sea cucumber. He explained that some of them would hold onto the rocks and forcefully pulling them off would injure or even kill them. "It's better to find one that's sitting in the sand." He straightened with a dark green sea cucumber in hand, presenting it to Taryn.

He laughed at her utter look of disgust. "Do I _have_ to hold that?"

"You don't _have_ to. Like I said earlier, I won't force you to do _anything_. But you might regret it later on." A stupid story concocted in his brain and he began speaking faster than before, cradling the creature in his arms. "What if this is the last sea cucumber to ever cross your path? What if sea cucumbers go extinct and this is the very last one that you will have the opportunity to behold?" Taryn's face was crumpled with restrained laughs. Emboldened, he continued his wild fantasy: "What a horrible existence to know that you, Taryn Brand, may have held in your hands a precious, completely harmless life in your hand, and you denied it that last gift?"

Taryn was nearly crying with laughter by this point. "Okay okay! Just let me put this down…" With her laughter spent, she sighed heavily and replaced the starfish back in the water. She still cringed but held out her hands for him to pass the next creature.

Cliff snorted and laughed when Taryn's face morphed from mild curiosity to that of pure disgust.

"Ugh... Eugh this thing is so gross!"

"Isn't it just like a woman to cringe at a lovely creature."

"Lovely creature? It feels like ten month old yaknog combined with pig lard! Slathered in fish oil!"

Cliff cut off his laugh and covered one half of the creature with his hands. "Shhhh Taryn! It has feelings!"

"It's disgusting." Taryn dropped her hands and didn't even look down as the sea cucumber fell from her hands and splashed into the water.

Cliff gasped loud and gaped at her. "That was so rude! You can't just do that to the poor thing! Sorry Jerry!"

Taryn snickered, turning and walking away. "Jerry? What a cute name."

"Yes. Jerry the Sea Cucumber. We will forever remember him as the best sea cucumber that ever lived."

"Well I hope he and all his kind do go extinct because that's disgusting."

"Surely you don't actually mean that." Cliff raised his eyebrows.

"No, I don't," Taryn amended. "But I don't want to touch one ever again."

Cliff snorted. "Ah well, at least you did it once." He watched her walk away and inspect some of the fish when a burst of inspiration hit him-and what better time than now? He swept a hand toward the water and flung a handful of water in her direction.

Taryn gasped and whirled toward him, eyes narrowed. Cliff tucked his hands into his pockets and turned away, whistling innocently. A wave of water splashed his back and he paused, turning a narrowed eye over his shoulder. She'd gotten more of herself wet than him in her effort, but the mischievous glint of her eye had to be the best thing he'd seen all day.

"Oh it's on! Take cover, Jerry!" Cliff spun his body around and swung his leg through the water toward her, sending a column of spray all over her. Taryn screamed, holding out her hands as if to block the water. Of course, this effort failed and she was soon doused in salt water. Cliff doubled over in laughter before waving his hands. "Okay, maybe a little too far?" He hobbled over to her, careful to avoid starfish. "Maybe we should get out?"

Taryn shoved her wet bangs out of her eyes just as he stepped in front of her. She grinned and pushed against his chest as hard as she could, which was cute because he was a lot taller than her, so knocking him down would be easier said than done. But Cliff instantly knew she had the advantage for two reasons: one, he was already clumsy by nature, and two, she'd hooked her leg behind his knee, effectively sending him sprawling backwards into the lagoon.

Cliff came up gasping and shook the salt water from his face. He tried to clear his eyes of the painful sting of salt when Taryn's loud guffaws registered. He stared up at her with open shock; he'd never heard her laugh like that. She was leaning against the rock wall, an arm braced against her stomach, the other gesturing at him plainly before she doubled over again. With her sopping auburn hair falling out of her perfect bun, bangs stuck to her forehead in all directions and her clothes a rumpled mess, Cliff came to the conclusion that Taryn Brand was the most beautiful girl he'd ever known.

Her laughs finally subsiding, Taryn walked toward him and held out an arm. "Here, let me help you." She snickered again, apparently unable to stop. With a smirk, Cliff grasped her forearm, determined to fix that. "Cliff, no- NO!"

With a sharp yank he'd pulled her into the water beside him. Her head didn't go under but she quickly stood back up gasping, her clothes even wetter than before. Cliff cackled as she gasped and pulled her shirt away from her torso as best she could, the material clinging to her skin.

She playfully glared down at him. "Thanks a bunch."

"Payback is always sweet, Miss Brand." Cliff replied with a wink as he stood, shaking out his arms and wringing out wads of his shirt.

"Man, my mom is not going to like this…" Taryn mumbled as she climbed out and sat down next to her shoes.

Cliff frowned. "Why not?"

"Well," Taryn sighed, absentmindedly pulling her hair out of her bun. Cliff blinked at the sight of her hair down; he wasn't sure if he'd ever seen Taryn's hair undone. "My mom doesn't like salt water. It supposedly messes with her laundry… routine."

Shaking his head to clear it, Cliff shook salt water out of his own hair and plopped down beside her. He had to stop gaping; he was acting like a fool! "How does salt water mess with her routine?"

"Well the salt mixes in with the rest of the laundry, I mean." Taryn said with a wince as she dragged her fingers through her knotted hair. Cliff watched and decided untangling knotted hair wasn't too different from untangling those huge bundles of leather strips back at the shop. Horst and Erick _always_ gave him that job.

Cliff marveled at how long her hair was; it nearly reached her lower back. He watched silently as she continued to talk about her mom's laundry issues, braiding her hair back as she did. Cliff blinked in surprise, realizing that Taryn was actually talking a lot more than he was. The fact that he wasn't talking at all was a surprise.

People didn't believe him when he said that he was a good listener. He surprised himself sometimes because he truly didn't know when to shut up half the time. However, at times like this, he was content to sit and listen to the other person. Taryn talked and talked and talked. With a smile, he decided that Taryn really wasn't any different than any other girl. Her parents might have trained her in the arts of pristine perfection, but she could talk a person's ear off just as much as Adrianna.

His smile faded at the thought and Taryn noticed, pausing in mid-sentence. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just thought of Adrianna and… and Finn." His chest felt hollow and he suddenly felt extremely guilty for sitting out here in the middle of nowhere having fun when his friend was either sick or dying.

"I'm sure we'll hear something soon." Taryn replied quietly. "I was told Anna was going home later today."

Cliff nodded. "Yeah. Hopefully."

Taryn brushed dry sand from her feet. "What do you think of her and Erick?"

"They're great!" Cliff grinned, turning toward her. "I mean… you have to know they're perfect for each other right?"

"Oh, for sure," Taryn nodded. "I don't doubt that. But don't you think they're taking things a little... too fast?"

Cliff thought for a moment. "Well, by normal standards maybe. Especially considering everything she's been through. But I think more than anything she needs the support and the… knowledge that Erick isn't just a friend. He's more than that. He wants her to know and believe that."

"Yeah, but," Taryn paused hesitantly. "What about the baby?"

Cliff felt slightly defensive for his friend. "You don't think Erick could raise a baby?"

"Of course he could. Out of all of us teenagers, he'd be the first guy to do it. But maybe that's what worries me…" Taryn said quietly.

"Why would that worry you?" Cliff hesitantly asked.

"Because we both know Anna can't handle any more heartbreak." Taryn looked him in the eye with a serious frown. "What if he bites off more than he can chew and… can't swallow?"

"He'll swallow." Cliff replied firmly. "He might choke a little bit because, like you said, we're all kids. But he'll swallow. And honestly, who doesn't choke a little now and then?"

Taryn bobbed her head in admission. "True."

Gazing up at the sun lowering in the sky, he realized the late hour. Cliff sighed, swiping the sand off his feet and pulling socks back on. "They'll be okay. We'll be right there to help them."

"Yes, we will." Taryn followed his actions, quickly pulling on her socks and boots and straightening her shirt again. Thankfully the sun had quickly dried their clothes.

Cliff grabbed the empty fish bags and helped her back up the rock. He smiled when Taryn paused and looked over his little oasis once again. She turned a look up at him and said, "Thank you for sharing this with me."

Slightly embarrassed, Cliff shrugged. "It's nothing."

"No… not nothing." Taryn looked up at him with a strange expression. He wondered what she was thinking, but the look passed and she looked back down at the mini lagoon. "I'd like to come again sometime… if that's okay?"

His heart somersaulted in his chest; he'd never been more happy to share something! Cliff nodded vehemently. "Of course! It's open seven days a week, twenty four hours a day. And the best part," He held out a hand so they could begin their descent. "Completely free of charge."

Taryn laughed and followed him down the slope. Though it killed him to do it, he dropped her hand at the bottom and walked by her side the entire way back to the village.

Cliff ran a hand through his mop of curls, wincing with the salty crust he felt along his scalp. He'd definitely need a bath tonight.

They walked through the main square and walked down the street towards Taryn's house. Her father was chopping wood outside and paused mid-swing when he spotted them out of the corner of his eye.

"Hi dad!" Taryn made to walk past him, but was instantly blocked with a hand on her shoulder.

Cliff blinked at how quickly the man had moved; he'd tossed his axe and marched toward them in a span of seconds and was now pushing his way between them.

"Where have you been? Is that salt?" Clyde Brand nearly growled at Taryn, whose spine straightened so fast it almost looked painful. "Your mother and I have been worried sick!"

"I was just hanging out with Cliff." Taryn squeaked.

Clyde's gaze snapped to Cliff so fast he had to force himself not to flinch. He rallied all the bravery he could muster and said, "Yes, I was just bringing her home safe and sound, sir."

"Who gave you the right?" Clyde sneered, stepping in close. Cliff backed away a few steps in shock and surprise.

Taryn quickly pushed between them "Daddy, it's nothing. We were just-"

"Did you touch my daughter!" Clyde growled, now drawing in the attention of neighbors.

Cliff's face burned. "No! I'd never-"

"Don't you come around here again." Clyde glared, then his gaze snapped down to Taryn. "And you. I'm very disappointed."

Taryn's face crumpled with hurt. "Dad, we didn't do anything wrong."

Clyde snapped an arm toward the house. "Don't talk back to me. Get inside. You look filthy."

Cliff watched the tears well up in her eyes. She gave him one last baleful look before darting past her father and slipping inside the house, her muffled sobs the only sound.

He could almost feel the air change around them as Clyde stepped toward him. "Sir, I can explain-"

"If I find out you touched a single _hair_ on my daughter's head, I will end you slowly and painfully. I want you to turn around, leave my home and leave my daughter alone. Do I make myself clear?"

Cliff gritted his teeth. This was completely uncalled for and ridiculous. He knew the Brands were strict, but he never knew it would come to this. If he decided that he really had feelings for Taryn, was this the roadblock that he would have to hurtle? How would he ever gain approval from a man who wouldn't even let him explain?

He'd never been rebellious but he felt so much injustice in the situation, he wanted nothing more than to talk back. Cliff held his tongue, knowing he'd surely regret whatever might come out. But he would not stop talking to Taryn. He would not abandon her.

When he felt he could speak without shaking, Cliff calmly said, "I meant you no disrespect by spending time with your daughter."

"Without my permission? There is no greater disgrace."

Cliff fought to keep a neutral expression. He didn't know what to do or say that wouldn't make the situation worse.

He nearly exploded with relief when Hiccup and Toothless exited a nearby street and faced them with concern. "Everything alright, gentlemen?"

Clyde turned a look over his shoulder as the chief approached. "No. My wife and I have been worried sick all day concerning the whereabouts of our daughter, come to find this… ingrate bringing her home hours later than we expected her!"

Cliff stiffened. If there was one thing he hated, it was name calling.

Hiccup frowned as well. "Now Clyde, I can personally vouch for Cliff. He'd never do anything to-"

"He carted my daughter off from her workplace and took her to who knows where without my permission!" Clyde growled. "Those are numerous offenses!"

"Something that I am sure will not be overlooked in the future."

"The future?" Clyde laughed humorlessly. "There won't be a future as far as I'm concerned."

Cliff clenched his jaw to keep from speaking.

"Never say never, Clyde."

"You would defy me as well?"

Cliff snapped. "That's the chief you're talking to."

Clyde's face reddened and he stepped forward. "You _dare-_

Hiccup shoved his way between them, Toothless growling. "Gentleman, we're not doing this. Clyde, be reasonable. He did nothing wrong and he certainly didn't do anything with the intention of harming your daughter _or_ disrespecting you."

A muscle spasmed in Clyde's jaw as he glared at the chief. "At least we both _assume_ he did nothing to my daughter. For all we know he has wooed her delicate mind with his wicked wiles and had his way!"

Cliff had never felt stronger anger more in his entire life than in that moment.

Hiccup turned and pushed him back with a hand on his chest. "Cliff, just go home. I'll deal with this."

"I would _never_ do anything to Taryn-"

"Cliff, I know that." Hiccup replied gently. "It's okay. Deep breath, okay?"

Cliff realized his face was flushed and he was sweating, his palms clammy. He wiped them on his pants and took a deep breath.

"Alright, I will take care of this. Just go home, okay? Toothless, walk with him."

Toothless rumbled his agreement and slapped Clyde on the butt with his tail as he trotted past. The man scowled and prepared a retort, but a firm look from the chief made him pause. Cliff saw no more as Toothless shoved him by the hip and pushed him down the street. He chanced a look up at Taryn's house before turning away, and the last thing he saw was Taryn's splotchy face looking down at him from her bedroom window.


	20. Inner Workings

His butt was numb. Cliff had been sitting outside his aunt Mara's house for so long, completely bored out of his mind that tingles of pain had started shooting through his gluteus maximus. So bored was he, in fact, that he didn't notice when a pair of blondes slid into seated positions beside him.

A poke in his bicep stirred him out of his revelry and he looked over to see Adrianna sitting there, smiling in amusement. Cliff gasped and flung his arms around her, engulfing her in a hug. Adrianna laughed and hugged him back.

"Aw man, it's about time!" Cliff pulled back and grinned at Erick, giving him a swift hug as well. "I've been sitting here for HOURS!"

"Mara told us." Erick chuckled.

"Sorry Cliffie," Adrianna sighed, pulling her thick hair back into a bun. Cliff smirked at the way Erick's eyebrows shot up at the sudden view of her bare neck. "I was hoping to come out earlier and I got hit with morning sickness."

"Oh, sounds lovely." Cliff frowned. "You're feeling better though? You're… okay?"

Adrianna's brow pinched but she nodded. "Yeah… I'm okay."

Cliff chanced a look down at her stomach. Most of her shirt was rumpled in the front, concealing any and all possible signs of pregnancy. "How's the lil cuppycake?"

Erick snorted as Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "Did you just call my baby a cuppycake?"

"That I did! How is she?"

"Oh, so now I'm having a girl?" Adrianna asked, leaning past him to give Erick a look.

"Yup! So how is she?"

Adrianna laughed a little. "Mara said we're both okay. They…" She paused, her smile fading. "They didn't hurt me."

Cliff wanted to object; the bruise blossomed on the side of her face was evidence enough of their cruelty. But she was right. They hadn't hurt her where it really mattered.

His heart twisted in his chest uncomfortably, suddenly remembering Dana bombarding him a few months back. He'd forgotten all about that encounter up until recently when Adrianna's rape had been discovered. He wondered if he should tell somebody about it, but at this point it had been a while…

"Cliff?"

He shook off those thoughts and smiled at his concerned friends. "I'm good. So, the cuppycake?"

Erick rolled his eyes. "Do we _have_ to call him that?"

" _Him_?" Cliff demanded.

Adrianna smiled at Erick with a twinkle in her eye. "Him?" Erick smiled back knowingly. She grinned and replied, "The _cuppycake_ is okay."

Cliff sighed. "That's a relief. She's going to be so cute!"

"What makes you so sure that it's a girl?" Erick countered.

"Because that way I can be her knight in shining armor! I will embellish her with all the glitz, glam and glory a blooming new life needs!"

"Um, Cliff," Erick murmured. "A newborn doesn't need glitz, glam, and glory."

"Excuse me! How dare you rain on my parade!" Cliff whipped toward his friend, poking him in the chest with a stiff finger. " _Obviously_ by glitz, glam, and glory, I was referring to sprinkles and glitter and baby dragons!"

"Obviously." Erick scoffed in amusement. Adrianna was still grinning at them. "What about dear Uncle Finn?"

Cliff's amusement faltered for just a moment, but he plowed forward with a scoff of his own. "That beast. I'll have to beat him off with a stick if he thinks he's taking my brand new title and affections of the wee precious!" He pointed at Adrianna's stomach with gusto. "Ours will be an epic, legendary battle for the ages! I will vanquish my greatest foe for the best of my new dearest's affections, for the good of all-"

"Cliff, why are you yelling?" Erick exclaimed suddenly. "It's just us! Sitting in the street! Nobody else around!"

Laughing and clutching her middle, Adrianna leaned into Cliff's shoulder. Cliff laughed and gently patted her head. "This is why! Cuz I had to make her laugh!"

"Of course you did," Erick smiled knowingly. "It has nothing to do with being obnoxious or anything."

Cliff gasped, smacking a hand to his chest.

Adrianna gasped as well, wrapping him in a tight hug. "Erick, how dare you!"

"Oh please."

"He is sweet and precious and positively the best jester known to Berk!"

Erick snorted. "Known to Berk."

"Yup. So if he wants to expand his jesting career, he should probably get cracking." Adrianna nodded with finality.

"Yeah, I should probably get working on that," Cliff nodded in agreement. "Lots of islands to share puns with."

"Oh geez," Erick sighed, rubbing his face. "In all seriousness though, what did you do today? Anything of interest?"

Taryn immediately flashed into his mind and he had to bite back a grin. Too late he realized they'd already seen it, and they both leaned forward expectantly.

"Oh ho, I know that look." Erick smirked.

"Who'd you spend time with? Tell me!" Adrianna gushed. "Tellmetellmetellmeeeeeeee!"

"Alright already, woman!" Cliff laughed and leaned away from her. With a wide assortment of smiles and grins and surprising nervousness, he told them everything that had transpired with Taryn that afternoon. Even what had happened with her dad. Despite their excitement for him and praise for his courage, they were both in agreement concerning her dad.

"Give him time," Erick said. "Don't give him any reason to think you're not trustworthy."

"How did you get past him?" Cliff asked.

Erick snorted. "Well for one I didn't 'get past' him. Taryn's family is very tight-knit, very inclusive. They do everything together. If you want to date Taryn, you're basically going to have to date the whole family."

"I'm cool with that. I like meeting new people. Alton is pretty cool, whenever he shows up that is."

"Hiccup said Johann's ship is coming in the next few weeks." Erick replied. "But as for Taryn's dad, I had everything going for me. Her parents have always liked me, so I think they approved. They might have even initiated some of our friendship back then."

"What do you mean?" Adrianna asked.

A dark look passed through Erick's eyes and he looked away. "I was depressed over my dad's death. I was grieving. Taryn is a natural comforter, so I won't say that she didn't try to be my friend _only_ because of her parents. But I don't doubt that they encouraged it."

"Hm. I never thought about it that way." Adrianna mused with a shrug.

Cliff chewed his lip, mulling over all this information. He still wasn't sure how he'd move forward after Mr. Brand's outburst earlier. But he knew one thing: He didn't want Taryn to feel like this was her fault. He didn't want to leave her alone.

"Give him a few days to cool off," Erick instructed. "Then talk to Taryn in a busy area, like the Great Hall. If you want we can set it up so we're both there too and we can do all the initiating so he can't think you're doing something wrong. But there's nothing wrong with you hanging out with Taryn. He'll realize that soon enough."

"Why is he even so protective of her?" Cliff asked. "He has to know that she doesn't like this kind of lifestyle. It's overbearing."

Erick winced, running a hand through his hair. He seemed to mull over his words for a few minutes before replying. "It wasn't always like that. I think Curt's death made them hold onto their kids even tighter."

"I can understand why," Adrianna commented quietly, wrapping her arms around her middle. "I can't imagine…" She tapered off. Both boys knew what she meant.

Footsteps sounded before Inga rounded the corner, a small smile on her face. The first they had seen in days. Instantly the trio jumped to their feet.

"What is it?" Erick asked pensively.

"Finn's awake!" Inga grinned.

The group collectively sighed in relief and Inga pushed through the boys to hug Adrianna, who looked like she might cry. After accepting the hug and quickly waving at her eyes, blaming all the tears on pregnancy hormones, she strode past Inga toward the door.

Erick made to follow her and Cliff's sadness instantly returned. He wished he could go see his friend too. "Hey!"

The blond turned with a surprised expression.

"Don't leave me hanging for another day." Cliff said, quietly begging. "Please."

Erick nodded. "I won't. I'm coming home tonight so I'll fill you in."

Cliff nodded gratefully and watched as his friends disappeared around the corner. He waited until their footsteps receded before sighing and turning towards the direction of his parents' house. He didn't want to sit in the dirt anymore and he wanted more advice on how to approach Taryn and Mr. Brand.

* * *

When Adrianna stepped into Finn's room with Erick on her heels, they were immediately instructed to wash their hands, arms and faces before moving another inch.

"We're making really good progress," Mara said from inspecting Finn's wound. "We don't want to make any mistakes now."

Adrianna washed her skin quickly yet thoroughly before drying them and throwing the towel at Erick. She snorted when it socked him in the face and pulled it off with an unamused smile.

She joined her mom beside Finn's bed, taking Finn's hand when he held it out. She was surprised at first that he even wanted to hold her hand, but she understood when he softly asked: "Are you okay?"

Adrianna smiled and nodded, forcing back the tears that began to brew. "Yes. Thanks to you."

Finn gave her a small, pained smile. His face was still pale and he looked exhausted, but he seemed alert given the accident had been the day before. He jerked and squeezed Adrianna's hand when Mara prodded the wound.

"It's okay. You're okay." Astrid said soothingly, pushing his bangs out of his eyes.

"My hair is filthy because of you." Finn griped.

Astrid promptly rolled her eyes, ignoring Erick and Adrianna's snickers.

"Where's dad?" Finn asked, wincing as Mara applied more medication to the wound.

"Um…" Astrid rubbed her eyes. "The… Great Hall?"

Adrianna frowned. "You need to get some sleep, mom."

"I'll sleep when I'm dead."

"Hmph." Mara scoffed, wrapping the wound in gauze. "That may be a lot sooner than you think."

"I'll keep an eye on him tonight." Erick said.

Adrianna and Mara whipped their gazes to him disapprovingly. "Ohhhh no you don't. You're going home tonight."

"Oh, right." Erick winced. "I did kind of tell Cliff I would."

"Mhm!" Adrianna nodded, adjusting Finn's sheets. "That's why _I'm_ staying."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Mara said as she stood, gathering her tools and poultices. "All of you are getting a proper night's rest tonight, and that is final. Inga and I will watch over him."

"I really don't need a babysitter." Finn muttered, rubbing his face.

"Actually you do. You're still very weak and the wound could still become infected without proper care."

"Okay sure, but Inga?" Finn whispered.

Mara shrugged. "She is my healer in training. She must learn how to care for patients through the night because one day she will most likely be patching up _your_ sons, because that is the way of Haddocks."

Erick snorted.

"Oh don't you get fresh, Mr. Larson." Mara turned and pointed, her finger darting from his face to his leg. Adrianna smirked at the chosen nickname and watched as Erick's ears began to burn at the look she was giving him. The healer prattled on: "-no better than the rest of them."

"So I've been told." Erick winked at Adrianna, who promptly felt butterflies burst in her stomach. Who knew that in such a short amount of time that they'd be reduced to openly flirting in front of practically everyone?

Finn groaned. "I do not have the countenance for such flirtatious gestures at this time."

"Yet you have plenty countenance for sass and drama." Erick pointed out.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do."

Adrianna rolled her eyes and shook her head at her mom, who was staring at her son but clearly struggling to stay awake. Mara patted Astrid's shoulder and turned to Erick again. "Erick, why don't you take Astrid home?"

"What?" Astrid jerked straight up in her seat. "I'm not going anywhere!"

"Dear, you're exhausted."

"But-"

"Mom," Finn took her hand. "I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere."

Astrid frowned. "What if something happens when I'm not here?"

Finn snorted. "Come on, mom. Inga will be here to kick my butt if I do something stupid."

"Too right!" A female voice agreed from through the open doorway. Adrianna and Erick laughed as Mara shook her head and left the room.

Astrid sighed and kissed his forehead. "Okay. I'll be back in the morning."

"Send dad by if you see him."

Their mom stood and nodded, almost unwilling to release Finn's hand. But finally she did and Erick gently steered her out of the room to take her home.

Adrianna blinked, suddenly realizing she was alone with her brother. The last time she was alone with him, he'd been lying in a pool of blood in the street, fighting for air. The time before that they'd argued nearly a week ago and she'd insulted him. He'd insulted her. Guilt clawed up her throat and she swallowed hard.

Finn gently reached up and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "It's okay. This isn't your fault."

Adrianna brushed the other tears away and choked on a laugh. "When I said you should drop like dead weight, I didn't mean it literally."

Finn blinked before a wry smirk eased into his face. "Sorry I'm so literal. Someone has to be with all your dreams of grandeur."

"Ha ha." Adrianna sighed. Her amusement quickly faded when she remembered the seriousness of what she'd said to him that day. "I'm sorry. I know this has been just as hard on you and I shouldn't expect you to just… get on board."

Finn frowned. "What else should you expect?"

Adrianna blinked, unsure what he meant.

"You're my sister. You were wronged in the most horrible way." Finn scowled. "And I had the gall to act like it was all about me. It was never about me, but I made it about me. So _I'm_ the one the should be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong, Anna."

Adrianna's shoulders stooped. "I did take off."

"We don't need to get into all that," Finn waved his hand to the side. "Giving you grief over that doesn't change what happened, as if you've ever nitpicked me about my adventures on Rune." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He swallowed hard before looking back up at her. "I don't know _anything_ about... about kids. That's probably the one thing I literally have _no_ experience on."

At his fearful expression, Adrianna couldn't help the amused laugh.

He rolled his eyes and continued, "But… I want to try. I don't want to be that uncle who's a stranger to your kids. I don't want that for either of us. If… if that's okay with you."

"Okay?" Adrianna asked, reaching out to take his hand again. "Finn, _of course_ , that's okay! I mean believe me, I'm not prepared for this in the slightest. But I think if we all work together we can figure out what to do."

Finn nodded in agreement. He glanced down at her stomach for a second, but his eyes darted away just as quickly. "Is… the baby okay?"

Adrianna smiled and nodded. "Yeah. We're both fine. And soon you will be too."

"Hmph." Finn frowned, glaring down at his wrapped torso. "I'm going to die of boredom."

"I think it will be a while before you start getting really stir crazy."

"Gods, I hope not." Finn rubbed his face. "I hope this will be a speedy recovery because I don't want to be laying around on my butt for the next month."

"I highly doubt it will take that long, kiddo." Hiccup said with a smile as he walked in, giving his daughter a pat on the shoulder. "At least not lying around."

"Being able to _do_ stuff on the other hand?" Adrianna winced. "A month is more likely."

"Or more." Hiccup nodded.

Finn sighed long and heavily. "Great."

Hiccup hid a smile and tapped Adrianna on the shoulder. "Addie, the guard is waiting outside to walk you home. Lily is there too."

Finn frowned. "The guard?"

Adrianna gave him a withering look of agreement before looking up at the chief. "But I want to stay with Finn."

"It's okay, I'm kinda starting to get tired." Finn mused, rubbing his eyes.

"Plus I'd rather you didn't walk home in the dark."

"If I have a large group of men walking with me either way, why does it matter?" Adrianna asked.

Hiccup's raised eyebrow was his only response before she sighed and stood. She quickly kissed Finn on the forehead. "I'll be back tomorrow with stuff for you to do."

"Oh golly, are you going to bring me that Princess Diaries series you were telling me about?" Finn drawled.

Hiccup snorted and Adrianna set her hands on her hips. "Why yes, how did you know? Maybe I can even teach you how to braid hair!"

"Thor, take me now." Finn whispered.

"Thor must not want you yet if you're still here. The worst, I think, is behind you." Hiccup said as he took Adrianna's former chair and nodded her toward the door. "I'll be home in a bit, okay?"

"Okay. Rest well, Finnegan!" Adrianna strode out the door, ignoring his sassy comeback of "resting well when he was dead". He probably didn't remember their mom saying the same thing a little while ago.

Closing the door behind her, Adrianna stepped into the street with a deep breath of salty sweet air. The guards instructed to take her home stood at attention and walked toward her. Lily scrambled past them and nearly shoved her face into Adrianna's arms. The girl laughed and hugged her dragon, kissing her purple scales.

"Whenever you are ready, Miss Haddock."

Miss Haddock? When ever did they decide to start calling her that? Adrianna mused. She shrugged with amusement and gestured at the street. "Lead on!"

The group of eight men split up, four leading her down the street and four following behind her and Lily. She withheld a sigh, wishing she and Lily could just fly home. She knew that was out of the question, but it would certainly take less time. Her father had become very protective in the last twenty-four hours and it would seem that he wasn't taking any chances. She hoped he would come home soon and rest as well, seeing as he'd also stayed up half the night sitting by Finn's side.

When her house finally came into view and she'd stowed Lily safely in her pen, she bid the guards goodnight and quietly made her way inside. The house was quiet with her mom already asleep in her parents' room (at least she _hoped_ her mom was sleeping and not worrying).

Gently closing her bedroom door and lighting a few candles, Adrianna started toward her dresser to find pajamas when she paused. A beautiful white lily was resting on her bed with a small note attached to its stem.

Curious, Adrianna picked up the flower and note and sat on her bed. She opened the letter and the smile on her face grew as she read:

**Annie,**

**I know things have been tough lately, but today I realized something. Nothing makes me happier than seeing you smile. So from now on, expect to smile and laugh and have fun the way we used to. Let's start a new adventure today and fill it with less tears and more smiles.**

**I love you!**

**-Erick**

Adrianna felt like her heart might burst out of her chest. She couldn't fight the grin if she wanted to. She quickly found a vase and filled it with water for the white lily he'd given her. Then she opened her diary and tucked Erick's note safely inside. With a happy smile and a newfound hope for the future, Adrianna fell into a contented sleep.

* * *

Finn awoke at a whopping four am. At least that was the time he told himself for a couple of reasons: Mara's house was completely silent, here were no telltale signs of activity outside, and the curtains were drawn tight across the windows. Inga half sprawled across his knees had nothing to do with it.

He held back a smirk and stretched his arms over his head, jerking when pain laced up his torso. He huffed in annoyance. He really wanted nothing more than to get up and move around. His mind felt more rested, but he knew it would be a while before he could get back to his usual rigorous activities.

Unintentionally, he moved his left leg, which caused Inga's head to drop to the side. She jerked awake and looked around, her dark hair in disarray.

"I'm awake!"

Finn snorted. "Right."

Inga blinked at him in confusion before she really woke up. "You're awake!"

"You're not awake."

"I am not awake." Inga agreed, leaning on her elbows and rubbing her eyes vigorously.

"Why did Mara make you do this?"

"Training and other such nonsense."

"That's dumb." Finn frowned. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault." Inga stood and poured water into a small wooden bowl. "Here, drink this. You have to stay hydrated."

Finn winced at every movement, but he finally managed to drink the entire cup. He wiped his chin with his blanket, feeling slightly awkward about this. But Inga seemed unfazed; it would seem she'd done this enough times that it didn't bother her.

Then again, it was just water. Training to be a healer had to entail much more gruesome experiences. Speaking of which…

"You were there." Finn met her eyes.

Inga nodded, settling back into her chair. "I was there." She bit her lip nervously, playing with the ends of her long hair. "When Evan and Thorein brought you in, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. I've seen injuries before and Erick's leg still takes the cake, but…"

Finn frowned. He wanted to know what she was thinking. Erick's injury was by far much worse than a simple stabbing. So why was she talking as if this had been a much bigger deal?

"I should check your bandages." Inga murmured before abruptly standing and grabbing a nearby basket of goods. "Are you hungry?"

He shrugged as best he could. "Not really."

"I'll make sure we make some broth for you. You'll need to keep up your strength-"

"Inga." Finn called her quietly. "Come here."

She paused in her bustling and gave him that wide-eyed, nervous expression again. Slowly she returned to her seat, but she didn't make eye contact.

"I'm okay, Inga." He didn't know why he felt the strong need to reassure her, but he didn't like that look of fear on her face.

"I thought you were going to die." She whispered. "It all happened so fast."

Finn nodded. "I know. I'm not sure if I even understood what was happening. I just knew that I'd never felt pain like that before."

"You're lucky the knife didn't damage any major organs." Inga shook her head as if to clear her head of any images. "We almost lost you."

"Come on, you can't get rid of me that easily." Finn smirked.

Inga rolled her eyes. "Idiot."

"That's what they tell me."

"I seriously do need to check your bandages though." Inga stood again, rifling through her healing supplies. "Can't afford to get lazy now."

Finn gave her a wan smile. "Thanks, Inga. You're really good at this healing stuff."

Though she tried to hide her pleased smile, he instantly knew that he'd said something right.

* * *

Tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth, Cliff slid his fingers along the folded paper with precise movements. The corners were sharp, the edges straight. There was no way this plan was going to fail!

Okay, so it could completely go the wrong direction, but if that happened he'd just go and get it. He'd done more awkward things before!

Unless the note went to Mr. Brand himself. Then he was well and truly screwed.

"I dare you to throw that at the Chief." Helga taunted from beside him. The closeness of her face made his hair press up against his face and he withdrew, lips bunched to one side of his face.

"'Scuse you! Personal space, sweetheart!"

Erick snorted, a spoonful of soup an inch away from his mouth. "What do _you_ know about personal space?"

"Ta-da!" Cliff explained triumphantly, holding up his finished paper airplane.

"Yay, Cliffie made a thing!" Helga clapped, nodding in approval. "Good job, Cliffie!"

Cliff turned an unamused frown her way, setting the paper airplane in his lap. "Excuse me. I am on a very important mission."

"To impress his lady friend." Erick murmured.

"HEY!" Cliff threw a piece of dry crust at him. Erick dodged with a laugh, trying not to spill his food. "Don't call her that!"

"Don't yell or Mr. Brand will hear you." Adrianna hissed as she sat down beside Erick, a large bowl of blueberry pie and whipped cream in her hands.

Helga bit back a smile. "Do you need more whipped cream?"

Erick turned a half-interested glance at her food before his eyes widened. "Geez babe! That's a _lot_ of whipped cream _!"_

Even Cliff's eyes widened at the fluffy cream heaped over her pie like a giant cloud. To be honest, he was kind of impressed.

Adrianna sniffed, plunging her spoon into the bowl. "So I like a little blueberry pie with my whipped cream. What's it to you?"

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Cliff jeered, ignoring Erick's raised eyebrow.

Helga chortled. "Right. She's just eating more for Finn's sake. Someone has to eat his portions."

"Aw man, now I feel bad!" Adrianna's green eyes widened almost painfully. "I can't eat all of this!"

"Yes, you can."

"No, I can't! What am I doing!" Adrianna shoved the bowl away toward Erick. "Here, you eat it."

Erick blinked. "No, you eat it."

Adrianna's eyes narrowed. "Why should I eat it?"

"Because you wanted it." Erick stated calmly.

"No, I shouldn't!" Adrianna answered her own question, ignoring Erick's response. "Why should I be the one to eat all of Finn's extra portions that he isn't here to eat when I'm just going to get _fat_?"

Helga cleared her throat. "Um, news flash Adrianna."

"What."

Erick swiped his hand across his throat in fast movements, trying to cut Helga off. Cliff's smirk and horror only began to grow as Helga opened her mouth.

"Obviously Finn doesn't _need_ the pie. Or the whipped cream." Helga nodded with finality, surprising them all. "He's living it up at the healers with his own fancy foods that the rest of us don't get to partake in, and what do we get?" Helga snatched the rest of Erick's stew.

"Hey!"

"Beef stew. That's what we get." She shoved the bowl onto the floor, ignoring Erick's indignant frown of disapproval. "But Adrianna." Helga leaned forward, holding up the bowl of blueberry pie and the quickly diffusing whipped cream. "Does Finn get dessert?"

Adrianna's eyes were wide. "Does he?"

"No." Helga shook her head wildly, blonde hair flying, bone necklace clacking against her collarbone. "He _doesn't_! Mara says sugar is the anti-healing component made only for disaster!"

Cliff raised an eyebrow at this increasingly interesting story.

"Well that's not necessarily-" Erick started.

"Therefore, the famous Fearless Finn does not get dessert! So his portions would go wasted!" Helga nearly cried. "So who should eat the extra portions, Adrianna?"

"Me." Adrianna said calmly.

"What's that, Adrianna?" Helga shouted. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"ME!"

"YES, SO HAVE NO SHAME! EAT ALL THE DESSERT IN THE NAME OF YOUR WOUNDED BROTHER!"

"HELGA!" Erick shouted, pulling Adrianna back into her seat as she too began to stand. "Please stop shouting."

Cliff's shoulders shook at the sight of most of the entire Hall watching them with confused looks. The sight of Erick's face slowly turning red was priceless.

Adrianna gave a satisfied "hmph!" of agreement and promptly began spooning pie into her mouth. Mercifully the Hall began to stir once again and conversation picked back up.

"We should talk more often, Helga. You're wise beyond your years." Adrianna stated presently. Erick gave her a very concerned look, making Cliff snicker again.

"Thank you, Adrianna!" Helga nodded in satisfaction. She looked over at him with a regal eye. "So Cliffie. You gonna mail that letter or what?"

"Oh!" Cliff raised his paper airplane with surprise, having completely forgotten.

"So devoted to the mission, I see."

"Quiet, I need to focus!" Cliff leaned against the table, the airplane aloft in his hand. He experimentally thrust his forearm forward a couple times in practice. He'd only get one shot at this.

"Steady, my friend!" Helga whispered hoarsely in his ear. "This is for the lady!"

Erick erupted into snickers, burying his face in Adrianna's shoulder. Cliff's ears burned but he didn't remove his focus. After a final experimental swing, he threw the paper airplane with a soft release.

"She flies!" Helga exclaimed hoarsely in his ear.

They watched the paper airplane fly across two tables, right over the heads of unsuspecting Vikings. Cliff sincerely hoped nobody would stand up. Finally the paper whisked across the final table and settled in front of his victim: Taryn Brand.

"Success!" Cliff whooped before slapping his hands over his mouth and ducking against the table, hoping Mr. Brand hadn't seen anything.

"Command, this is Helga Patrol speaking!" Helga muttered into her hand. "The Eagle has landed; repeat, the Eagle has landed!"

Erick rolled his eyes. "You guys are so weird."

Jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow, Adrianna said, "Fun is fun, Mr. Larson. You should try it sometime."

Cliff's eyes widened at the look Erick gave Adrianna, who smiled as if she had something to hide. He shared a short, awkward look with Helga before hiding his laugh, but she promptly slapped him in the shoulder.

"She's opening it!"

The quartet turned in time to see Taryn sneak the paper airplane to her lap beneath the table and open the note. She quickly read it and looked across the tables directly at him, giving him a confused expression. Cliff raised his eyebrows back in question. Taryn smiled a little and shrugged, tucking the note into her pocket.

"What exactly did you say in that note?" Erick asked.

"Three little words, my friend." Helga said, three fingers wiggling in the air before Cliff could reply. "Are you okay?"

"That's it?" Adrianna asked, dropping her spoon into the empty bowl.

"I didn't know who would get it!" Cliff said indignantly. "'Are you okay' is a very standard question! What if that note accidentally went to Gobber, huh? He'd be weirded out but it's me, 'are you okay' isn't that bad. But if he got a note directed to Taryn about specific stuff-"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Adrianna sighed.

"I just don't want to make things worse, that's all." Cliff sighed.

It had nearly been a week since Cliff's afternoon out with Taryn. He hadn't spoken to her a single time since, seeing as her parents seemed to be glued to her side. She seemed very subdued in the days that followed their adventure, and he'd never had the opportunity or the guts to talk to her. Finally he'd settled on a note. Granted the note could have been a _little_ more elaborate, but the last thing he wanted was for Mr. Brand to chew him out again. Or her for that matter.

Adrianna had even asked a few days ago if she wanted to sit with them. They all knew she did, but a single sharp look from her mother had closed Taryn off. All of them wanted her back in their group, but didn't know how to go about doing that. Good intentions her parents might have, she needed her friends as much as they needed her. Mr. and Mrs. Brand had to know at some point that they weren't doing her any favors.

"How's Finn?" Helga asked, snatching a piece of bread from another table's bread basket. She tore a large chunk from the loaf with her bare teeth.

Cliff blinked away from Taryn, who was trying and failing to avoid eye contact with him.

"He's okay," Adrianna said."Tired. Bored. He can't wait to go home."

"When will that be?" Cliff asked.

"Well, seeing as he didn't really start sitting up until yesterday…" Adrianna winced. "I'm not really sure honestly."

Erick hummed a sigh, scratching a fingernail against the table. "I wonder how long it will actually take for him to fully heal. The knife went pretty deep. It could very well be a few months before he gets a complete range of motion back."

Cliff grimaced. "Man, that would suck." He looked over again at Taryn; his heart leaped when he saw her already looking at him. She quickly averted her eyes. He could tell she wasn't in the least bit invested in the conversation around her.

"Smile, Cliffie." Adrianna patted his hand. "The time will come."

Cliff sighed and turned back toward them, eyes downcast. He watched the crumbs flit around his empty plate with the force of his exhale. He just wanted to talk to Taryn. That afternoon at his little oasis had awakened feelings inside him that he could hardly focus on anything else. Of course he had been forbidden from talking to her the very same day! Just his luck.

His gaze fixated on Taryn when she suddenly stood and walked toward the Great Hall doors without so much as a goodbye from her mother and the other women. Cliff tensed, barely able to stay in his seat to keep from following her.

Erick's expression remained passive, but he firmly said, "Cliff, look at me. Mr. Brand is watching you."

Tearing his gaze from Taryn's retreating back, Cliff cracked a fake smile and looked at Helga. "Did you know slugs can be destroyed if you pour salt on them?"

"Um hello, you do know who you're talking to right?" Helga raised an eyebrow. "The girl who dug up my siblings' dead pets and wears their bones for jewelry?" She rattled her bone necklace for emphasis.

Erick and Adrianna simultaneously cringed.

Cliff sighed, doing his best to keep his shoulders from sagging. "I know. I was trying to think of something stupid to say to distract me from…" Taryn.

He pressed his lips together in a tight-lipped frown. He didn't know how much more of this he could handle. It was in his nature to talk to people, to be fun and goofy and spontaneous. Since he'd been forbidden from speaking to Taryn, it almost felt like he'd been banned from having fun. He felt on edge all the time, knowing that her dad was probably watching him, analyzing his every move.

Adrianna broke their silence. "You don't have to be afraid, Cliff."

"I do, though, don't I?" Cliff muttered.

"Don't worry about Mr. Brand, Cliff." Helga said. "Just be yourself."

Frustration built up in Cliff's chest. "I can't just _be myself_ when I'm being scrutinized. I haven't even done anything to deserve scrutiny!"

"To him you have." Erick replied.

Cliff scowled.

"I'm not saying that you did anything wrong."

"Then what are you saying?"

Erick glanced at Adrianna for a moment before replying. "Talk to Mr. Brand."

Cliff snorted. "You're crazy."

"No, I'm not. How long did I wait around to even talk to Annie about us? Let alone Hiccup?" Erick asked. "I know it's not quite the same situation, but we all know that there's potential with you and Taryn. Both of you feel it too. Don't wait around for Mr. Brand to sign a marriage contract for the girl before you get up the guts to face him."

Cliff's mouth went dry. "He'd do that?"

"I honestly don't know, Cliff." Erick shrugged, casually putting an arm around Adrianna's back. "But if you really care about her and want to see what could happen, why risk anything else happening?"

Cliff saw the unspoken words in Erick's eyes: don't make the same mistakes he had. He'd made mistakes, waited around, watched another guy date Adrianna… and look at where that had ended. The same couldn't be said for Taryn, but the point still stood. Maybe he needed to gather his courage and talk to Mr. Brand before he lost his chance.

Cliff met each of his friends' eyes in turn, seeing the girls' unspoken agreement. He gulped and turned a nervous glance over his shoulder toward Mr. Brand. The auburn-haired man set down his mug and nodded to the chief while they spoke. Suddenly he looked directly at Cliff and narrowed his eyes when they made eye contact.

He whipped back around, feeling the back of his neck burn. His curls swayed into his eyes and he blew air passed his lips to remove them from his line of vision. Gulping, he met Erick's eyes.

"Bear in mind," Erick's mouth lifted in a smile. "Some fear is healthy. I'm no relationship expert."

"Mhm." Helga smirked. "Seeing as someone still has to speak to the Chief himself."

Erick's cheeks turned a shade of pink and Adrianna giggled. Cliff smiled a little but he shrugged. "You have it a little easier. Hiccup already knows you."

"Yes, but he knows my flaws already. He knows where I tend to screw up and what buttons to press to really test me. And he will." Erick winced. "You have the benefit of getting to know Mr. Brand with a clean slate."

"And you're probably the most innocent boy we know, in regards to screw ups." Helga added.

"Thanks, Helga. I needed that boost of confidence." Erick drawled.

"No problem!"

Cliff sighed, rubbing his face. "I'll think about it."

"Please do," Helga stood abruptly, knocking their cups clean over. Erick yelped and jumped out of his seat to keep his trousers from getting soaked. "I'm getting bored of all this moping. Catch ya later!"

Cliff gave her a quick salute as she walked away. He tried to stay amused at Erick and Adrianna as they wiped off the table with a large wad of napkins, but he couldn't help looking over his shoulder again at Mr. Brand. This time, when he found the man still watching him, he straightened his spine and calmly held his eye. It was the longest minute of his life, but finally Mr. Brand's brow relaxed and he looked away.

* * *

"Clyde, might I have a word with you?"

The Brand patriarch looked up at the Chief in surprise and readily nodded. "Of course, sir." He stood from his seat, resting a parting hand on his wife's shoulder before following the Chief to a slightly more secluded area. "What can I help you with?"

Hiccup casually crossed his arms. "Actually, this is about Cliff and Taryn."

Instantly, Clyde's walls went up. He bit back a sharp retort about worrying about his own children. He tried for a patient sigh, but it came out more frustrated. "Yes?"

"I want to assure you that Cliff would never do anything to harm your daughter."

Clyde scowled, looking across the Hall. He noticed the lanky, curly-haired boy sitting among his friends, one of whom was the Chief's own daughter. He'd yet to witness the boy do anything harmful, but that didn't mean anything.

"Clyde, you trust me, don't you?"

"Of course, sir."

"Then I wouldn't lead you astray on this." Hiccup replied patiently. When Clyde didn't reply, the Chief followed his gaze. "Can I ask why you don't like Cliff? Is it him or is it just boys?"

"Both." Clyde admitted, crossing his arms. "There are multiple factors."

"Such as?"

Clyde bit back a sigh. He didn't want to tell the Chief all of his reasons. However, he knew the Chief was both caring and stubborn. He clearly had a soft spot for the young Smedley boy. The Haddocks had never had any disagreements with his family before, so he must have Taryn's best interests at heart as well, right?

"He's a bit unhinged, don't you think, sir?" Clyde finally asked.

Hiccup let out a laugh, unable to hide his amusement. "He's easily excited, has a lot of energy. But why is that bad?"

Clyde frowned. "Taryn needs structure. She appreciates structure."

He watched as the Chief's smile slowly faded. "Clyde, you can't be serious."

"What ever do you mean?"

"Taryn is the most structured teenage girl I know. She's punctual, organized, respectful, she has a great rapport with the elderly as a fine young woman who would do anything to help someone in need."

Clyde swelled with pride at the compliments; he hadn't known the Chief to have such a high regard for his daughter. "Yes, so she needs a husband who can continue to lead her in such a way."

Hiccup's brow furrowed. "That's the thing: she doesn't need to be led to do that stuff. She's a natural helper, she enjoys doing it of her own free will. She doesn't have to be told to do things." With a small laugh, he added, "Unlike my daughter, who has always done her own thing."

"Adrianna has commendable qualities, sir." Clyde said firmly.

"She does, and so does Taryn. She doesn't need someone to tell her what to do, Clyde. She enjoys doing the things she does." Hiccup paused for a breath. "But I've noticed that she seems a little… subdued."

Clyde frowned. "How do you mean?"

"I think she feels pressured. She has all these expectations that she's trying to live up to. She wants to make you and her mother proud, which is commendable by far."

"So?"

"So," Hiccup said slowly. "I think she's losing her joy."

"Losing her joy?"

"Taryn always had a big smile, Clyde. I remember the first time I heard her laugh and she has a boisterous laugh only rivaled by my wife."

Clyde hid a smile. "She does, doesn't she?"

"Yes. But I haven't heard that laugh, or even seen that smile for quite some time."

Indignation flared in his chest. "With respect, sir, exactly how much do you pay attention to my daughter?"

Hiccup shrugged. "I'm the Chief, she's a good friend to both of my kids. I keep an eye on all of them."

Clyde tapped his foot impatiently. "What is your point in saying all of this?"

"My point, Clyde, is that I think Cliff is a perfectly harmless young man who just likes to make people smile and laugh and enjoy life. I don't know what the future holds, but any young man who's willing to go above and beyond what it takes just to make your daughter smile is worth giving a shot to."

Clyde sighed deeply with a scowl, crossing his arms and glancing between the teenagers once again. Taryn suddenly stood from her seat and left the Great Hall, ignoring her mother's protests. Clyde watched her go for a moment in concern before fixing his eyes on the Smedley boy. He was watching Taryn go with a melancholy expression.

"She's not happy, Clyde." Hiccup said quietly.

Cliff looked up and caught his eye. Clyde hardened his expression, silently daring the boy to test him in some way. Instead, he straightened in his seat and calmly held eye contact. It suddenly appeared to him that the boy had a little more backbone than he had given him credit for.

Clyde relaxed his stiffened frame with a sigh. "How do you do it?"

Hiccup turned to him in surprise. "Do what?"

"Trust a young man with your daughter after…" Clyde halted his words. A muscle fluttered in the Chief's jaw for a moment before he shuffled his feet. "I'm sorry, sir, I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's alright, Clyde. It's a fair question." Hiccup assured him calmly. Silence lingered and Clyde felt the need to continue.

"Adrianna is a bright young woman, but she's been through so much. She's carrying a child. How do you know Erick is right for her?"

The Chief's green eyes locked on his. "Because it's Erick. He'd never hurt her intentionally."

"He wasn't there for my daughter once." Clyde said, instantly regretting the words. The Chief looked curious, but he buried the words and emotions that came with that explanation. "How can you trust him?"

"Because he's practically a son to me. I know him. How well do you know Cliff?"

Clyde scoffed. "I've observed enough."

"Clyde."

"He's loud and obnoxious, he has no self-control-"

"If the situation is serious enough, he can be very self-controlled."

"He hasn't proven his merit."

Hiccup smirked. "Well that's where you need to test him and see what he's made of. If he really cares about Taryn, he'll do whatever it takes to prove himself to you."

Clyde scowled, his anger returning. "He still carted my daughter off without my permission."

"Ah… well, I'll be honest, the Smedleys are a little more laid back. That's not his fault, he didn't think anything of it. But that's the thing about your daughter's dating, Clyde. You can set the standard for how things go. Where they go, what time she comes home, all those details."

"That's all assuming that I allow this."

Hiccup deflated from his growing excitement. "I suppose. Talk to Taryn though. I think she'd feel a lot better knowing that she's able to approach you with hard topics like boys."

Clyde considered this. "Why wouldn't she approach me with such a topic anyway?"

The Chief raised an eyebrow.

"Oh come now, Hiccup. I'm not _that_ overbearing."

The auburn eyebrow did not lower, but instead was joined by the other. The incredulity on the Chief's face really made him reevaluate the situation.

Finally, he sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'll talk with Taryn. But I make no promises on the Smedley boy."

Hiccup clapped him on the shoulder. "Just give her a chance to at least talk to you about it. Then you can establish trust with her and you can move on from there. Because honestly, Clyde, I don't think anyone could dispute Taryn's love and loyalty to her parents."

Pride flooded his chest once again, touched at the words. "You think that highly of my daughter? Why don't you set her up with Finn?"

Hiccup laughed. "I don't think either of them would like that very much. They're both good friends, but they're not interested in the same things. Taryn's delicate and patient and sweet. Finn is… all brawn and sweat and thrills."

Clyde wince. "Yes, never mind. That wouldn't make a good match."

"Nope." Hiccup smirked, turning towards the doors. "I have to run but I'll catch up with you later."

"Alright. Good talking to you, Chief." Clyde paused. "Hiccup!"

He turned back around with a surprised expression.

"Thank you," Clyde nodded to him. "I appreciate your honesty."

Hiccup nodded with a smile and strode toward the doors again. Clyde ran a hand through his greying auburn red hair, the same hair that his daughter had acquired. He wondered at the Chief's words. What if he really was being too hard on Taryn?

He glanced over at Cliff, who was listening to Adrianna speak with rapt attention. Perhaps Taryn wasn't the only person to talk to about this after all.


	21. Homecoming

A wise man once said, "Time flies when you're having fun." Well, that old man could zip it because these last two weeks _sucked_.

At least, that's what Fearless Finn thought as he slowly rolled out of the bed he'd occupied for a better part of the month. In all his life, he'd never known such exhaustion, physical pain, and serious boredom.

Occasionally he could still feel the ghostly pain of Ratri's beatings, even though the scars from his frightening past had healed long ago. But the grueling hours of recuperation from a stab wound? That one takes the cake.

Finn sighed, glaring down at the white strips of cloth still wrapped around his waist. Gathering his willpower, he looped his arms through his shirt and slowly pulled it over his head. He'd almost finished the minor task pain-free until he made the mistake of jerking his shoulders back and a sharp pain lanced up his side.

"Ow. Gods," Finn whispered, a hand at his side.

"Careful or you'll bust a seam! You'll dirty the sheets!"

Finn rolled his eyes, unsurprised that Inga was watching from the doorway with a smirk. In the last weeks it had been her duty to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't get sick or do anything stupid.

"Inga, as much as it pains me to tell you this," Finn teased. "I am going home today and I daresay you will not see me around here again for quite some time. I could very well be putting you out of a job."

Inga snorted. "Oh sure. Knowing you, you'll be back tomorrow whining for pain relievers." She sauntered into the room, donning a large frown and a hand pressing against her ribs. "Inga, my side hurts again, do you have any tumeric paste?"

"Ugh, I have had enough of tumeric paste for one lifetime." Finn grimaced.

"Inga, what am I going to do without you?" She pressed on, ignoring his glare. "I've become so accustomed to sitting on my rear all day, what am I supposed to do with my life? I think I've lost my sense of purpose!"

"HEY!" Finn abruptly stood. He just barely stopped himself from lunging after her as she danced away on light feet. "That is _so_ rude!"

Inga cackled from the doorway. "Come on, redhead, let's get out of here."

Finn bit back a goofy smile, unsure why she'd suddenly started calling him "redhead". He supposed it was an improvement from words like "idiot" and "stupidhead". Was insulting one of Inga's love languages?

He strode out the door, not sparing the room another glance. He was leaving this place and he did not plan on returning.

The last few weeks had been rough. It had taken days to be able to sit up again, and even longer to stand and move around without feeling faint. Those days had been long and painful; despite Inga's jesting, he had to admit that those days had been the hardest. For most of his life, he'd always gotten up at the crack of dawn for an early-morning workout with his dragon, followed by a long day of working his body into a sweat with work and training. He'd never felt lazier and more useless than in the last two weeks.

He found Mara standing by the door with crossed arms. Her expression made Finn mentally prepare for a lecture that he'd not soon forget.

"Now Finn," Mara began, ignoring Inga's smirk from beside them. "There will be no working, no exercising other than those few strengthening exercises I have given you, no rough housing with the boys, and absolutely _no_ flying. If you feel any pain or sickness outside of the norm, you will contact me as soon as possible. If I so much as hear a word of any of the above, I will find you and put you back in that healer's bed until you can move freely with no pain whatsoever. You will be here for another month. Do I make myself clear?"

Finn nodded adamantly. He'd do anything to keep from returning to this place anytime soon.

The healer sighed and she patted his arm suddenly, her sternness evaporating into something softer. "I'm glad to see you leave." Finn smiled, his heart swelling a little. "I don't think I can stand anymore sass."

"Hey, I was keeping you entertained."

"Well of course," Inga elbowed him in the arm. "Anyone on that many drugs at one time would be entertaining."

"Careful, I might have to come back for more later."

Mara rolled her eyes. "Do not come back to my home unless you _need_ to, Fearless Finn."

Finn grabbed the door handle, but couldn't help adding: "But Inga's here."

Inga's face flushed and he couldn't help the grin. Mara shooed him out the door and he bid them goodbye before Inga could come up with a response. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Finn surveyed the village. Villagers milled the street despite the early hour and many smiled and waved at him as he _finally_ left the healers.

It felt amazing to be outside, to feel the heat of the morning sun on his head and the gentle breeze blowing against his hair. Mara had been generous and allowed him to walk outside a little bit the last few days, but it had only increased his hunger for freedom. He hoped he'd never be bedridden again.

He bit back a gasp when he got too excited and moved too hastily. Ignoring the impulse to put a hand on his side, he clenched his jaw and kept walking. He still tired easily and wouldn't be able to exert himself for probably a few weeks yet.

"Finn!"

Looking over, he saw his dad and Toothless walking toward him. He smiled and allowed Toothless to sniff his side, probably checking how much pain he was in. The Night Fury warbled at him, his fishy breath blasting his hair out of his face.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I'm glad to be out too!" Finn furiously scrubbed the dragon's scales behind the ears, making him purr.

"Someone missed you, it seems." Hiccup grinned at the exchange. He clapped his son on the back carefully. "You're out already. I didn't think you were leaving until later."

"Are you kidding? I wasn't staying there any longer than necessary." Finn grumbled. He took another deep breath of salty sea air and sighed. "It feels _so good_ to be outside."

His father smiled, clearly excited to see his son finally out of the healer's. "Your mom is still at home. We were going to pull down a bunch of stuff from the attic, see what we can find for your sister. But you can stay outside for as long as you want."

Finn shrugged. "At this point, anything sounds good."

An excited growl caught his attention and he straightened, turning toward the sound. His beautiful Shockjaw hurtled toward him at top speeds and Finn threw out his arms to accept the hug. That's when he realized his terrible mistake and he gasped, bracing himself for the world of pain he was about to land in.

Without warning, Hiccup ran out in front of him and stretched out a hand. "Zap, wait!"

Zap slammed to a halt, her claws digging long streaks into the ground. She slid for the last few feet until her nose was a mere inch in front of Hiccup's hand. She stared at it, seemingly mesmerized.

Finn blinked in shock. His dad still surprised him sometimes, even after his entire life around dragons.

Hiccup stepped closer, gently resting a hand on Zap's snout. "Zap, you have to be careful. Finn's still injured. You have to be gentle. Okay?"

Zap stared up at him before looking at Finn. She began to dance in place in excitement, but when the Chief stepped aside she merely trotted forward and pushed her face into his arms.

"Hey, baby girl!" Finn laughed, but couldn't help the slight burn in his eyes. He'd missed his dragon more than anything these last few weeks. Zap whined and pushed into his chest farther, making him step back to keep his balance. "It's okay. I know, I know."

"Easy, Zap." Hiccup warned.

"It's okay, dad. I'm okay." Finn rubbed her scales and kissed her between the eyes affectionately. "Thank you for taking care of her."

His dad smiled gently. "The first week was rough. She wouldn't leave that window…"

Finn remembered the first day he'd been allowed to walk around his room. The first thing he'd done was hobble to the window and look out at Zap, lying in the hot sun with nearly opaque scales. Zap was the first Shockjaw they really had any knowledge on, but they'd learned a few things about the creature in the last few weeks. Now they knew what happened to depressed Shockjaws that refused to eat and avoided water for a week.

Thankfully when she'd seen his face appear in the window, she'd snapped out of her stupor and nearly run to the window. They'd pressed their faces against the glass, and he'd made faces at her until she howled into the air like she always did. By the end of that day, she'd nearly eaten an entire bucket of fish and spent the entire evening swimming in the ocean. Apparently all she'd needed was to see that her boy was okay.

"Still kinda dry, Zappie." Finn noted the dry scales flaking under his fingernails. "I'll have to lather you up with some fish oil."

Zap's head snapped up in excitement.

"Yeah? That sound good? Who's a good- ow!" Finn gasped.

Hiccup frowned. "Alright?"

"Fine, I just keep jerking around too much."

"We should get home. I don't want you overexerting yourself."

"I'll be fine, dad!" Finn whined. "Don't make me go home yet."

"You're still weak, Finn. There's no riding home on Zap and home is still a long way away." Hiccup reasoned. "If you walk around the village for too long and then have to make the long trek home… You're going to regret it. "

Finn sighed heavily, staring longingly at the village. He just wanted to run and be social without laying around in bed anymore. But his dad was right; the walk to their house alone would wear him out. Plus if he got stranded in the village and couldn't make it one, he'd have to go back to Mara's for another night. That simply would not do; he was never going back to that place. "Alright, fine."

"Atta boy." Hiccup slung an arm over his shoulder and led him through the streets, both dragons guarding their sides. "I know it's been a rough two weeks, but we'll do our best to make sure you aren't bored out of your mind."

"Mkay."

Finn was grateful he had been allowed to leave the healers so soon. Two weeks to get back on his feet from a stab wound? That was remarkable progress; even he was surprised. Mara and Inga and Heather had done good work to keep him in proper health. But he couldn't help the despondency rising up in his chest. His mind and soul said, "go, go, go" when in reality, his body was saying, "no, no, no."

Hiccup squeezed his shoulder. "One day at a time, kiddo."

"Yeah."

A typical walk from Mara's to the Haddocks home was about fifteen minutes. It seemed like the time it took to leave the village had doubled. Finn realized two things on this arduous walk. One, his dad had never been more right. He was ever so thankful he'd gone straight home. He wouldn't have made it there if he'd dilly-dallied around the village for hours. And two, it was embarrassing how easily exhausted he was now.

They had to stop at least three times on the walk home for him to rest. He could feel the exhaustion weighing on his body as if he had metal limbs. Once again he was glad they lived outside the village because this was embarrassing!

"I… hate… this." Finn panted, forcing himself to keep walking. Finally they could see the house in the distance; the dragons had darted forward and left them in the dust. His father could easily outwalk him and he had a freaking peg-leg. This was ridiculous!

Hiccup, however, was very patient and encouraging the entire time. Except now he was looking at Finn like he'd grown a second head on their travels. "Maybe we should-"

"I am NOT stopping now."

"Finn, your face is turning red."

Grinding to a stiff halt and ignoring the sharp pain it produced, Finn glared at his dad. "Don't coddle me."

Hiccup gave him a level stare. "I'm not coddling you. You're tired and don't have the physical strength you used to from blood loss and healing, and I know that frustrates you. But you have to give your body the time to heal or it will take even longer for you to regain that strength."

"I _know_!" Finn growled, stomping toward the house again.

His father matched his gait wordlessly, seemingly expended all his pep talks. Finn didn't even know why he was suddenly so crabby, but the house still felt so far away and the sun was hot and his legs felt like iron blocks-

Black spots danced in his vision and he stumbled. A strong hand grabbed his arm and he suddenly felt himself eased to his knees. He blinked away the spots and suddenly saw his dad crouched in front of him, patting his face.

"Hey, kiddo, stay with me."

Finn blinked, realizing that he must have started to black out. He sighed in defeat. "Sorry."

"Finn, do not apologize. You did nothing wrong." Hiccup stated calmly. "But you know this is why you have to be careful, don't you?"

Finn nodded, wiping the sweat off his face.

"Okay." Hiccup studied his face with worry. "Do you think you can stand?"

He nodded again and allowed his dad to help him back to his feet. His knees wobbled a little bit, so Hiccup firmly slung Finn's arm around his shoulder and kept him steady as they finished the short distance back to the house.

The front door flung open and his mom hurtled down the porch. "I saw what happened from the attic window! Is he okay?"

"He's fine; just hot and tired." Hiccup assured her, helping him up the stairs and inside the house.

His dad helped him into the comfiest chair in their living room and Finn heaved a great sigh. "Now I know what Benen felt like."

His parents laughed, sharing an amused smile.

"I'll get you some water." Astrid said, marching to the kitchen.

Finn couldn't help the contented sigh that escaped him as he relaxed into the chair. He hadn't been home in weeks and now that he'd returned, he finally felt like he could relax without some healer hovering at his side. Finn looked around the cluttered living room, surprised at the amount of boxes on the floor. He honestly didn't know they'd had so much stuff in the attic. He wiped his face on his sleeve once again, frowning at the weight of his arm.

A cup of water was held out to him and he looked up at his mom in surprise. "Oh, thanks." He bit back a scowl at the way his hand shook, but he managed to drink the entire cup without spilling. He nearly hated the way his parents were watching his every move like he might slip into unconsciousness at any moment, but they had every reason to worry. He'd just almost passed out in their front yard after all!

Finn rolled his eyes. His pride would be the death of him, one day.

"When do you guys think is a good time to start getting baby clothes?" Adrianna's voice suddenly wafted down the stairs, followed by her small footsteps. "Should I start collecting now or wait til the last-" She stopped at the bottom of the steps in surprise. "You're home!"

He nodded with a wan smile. "More or less."

"Gods, you look…" Adrianna winced. "You look awful."

"Addie!" Hiccup whispered.

"Well he does!"

"I feel awful to be honest." Finn winced, feeling pretty sick overall.

Astrid reached out to feel his forehead and he turned his head out of reach with a raised eyebrow. With a stubborn smile, she snatched the cup out of his hand to refill it.

"I'm okay, I'll just lounge in this comfy chair for a while." Finn sighed. "Nothing sounds bett-" He froze, his eyes on his sister's stomach. "Holy crap, did you swallow a melon?"

For the first time in months, he was seeing her in an item of clothing that wasn't long-sleeved or baggy, meant to conceal her pregnancy. Because of the rising summer heat, his sister was wearing a loose tank top with a pair of comfy pajama pants. Now her stomach was a perfect little baby bump, which turned Finn's head in on itself.

He'd known for a while now that his sister was having a baby. She'd come to visit him countless times while staying at Mara's and he hadn't noticed a thing. But now it was obvious: his sister was visibly _pregnant_.

Adrianna stared open-mouthed at him before looking down at her belly. "NO! It's not THAT big!"

"You weren't that big two days ago!" Finn insisted, turning his head side to side in the attempts of a different view. "It's huge!"

"Oh honey, if you think it's big now, you've got a whole other thing coming. Things are just getting started." Astrid said, handing him the second cup of water.

"Hm." Finn said, eyes still on his sister's belly even as he drank.

Adrianna rolled her eyes. "Do you want to feel it like everybody else?"

"What? No!" Finn cried indignantly.

"Good because I'd say no anyway."

Finn raised a critical eyebrow. "Who else touched… felt... Who else."

As he found a seat on the couch, Hiccup laughed. "I swear, Astrid, he's more awkward than I was."

"Hiccup, nobody in the history of mankind was, is, or ever will be as awkward as you."

"Hey!"

Finn laughed into his cup before forcing himself to stop. He couldn't even laugh without feeling pain!

Adrianna took a seat next to their dad on the couch. "Cliff, Taryn, Helga. Well, and mom and dad obviously. And Erick…"

The way she tapered off and bit her lip at the addition made Finn roll his eyes long and hard. They were such dorks, it was painful.

"Hey, don't judge me. I heard all about your endless flirting with Inga."

Finn ducked his head. "Dunno what you're talkin' about."

"Come on, kiddo, everybody knows at this point." Hiccup smirked.

"So?"

"So are you going to ask her out?"

"Are you out of your gourd?" Finn erupted, the idea sending fear bursting through his stomach. Or maybe that was the injury. "Snotlout would kill me!"

"Not necessarily." Hiccup amended.

Astrid snorted. "I'd love to see Finn duke it out with Snotlout for Inga's hand just to see a Haddock finally whoop his behind."

"I will not be whooping anybody's behind, let alone for Inga!" Finn exclaimed.

"Why not?" Adrianna asked teasingly. "You don't like Inga?"

"I never said that!"

"So what's the big deal?"

"Uh hello? This is Inga we're talking about."

"Duh, who'd you think we were talking about?"

"She's thirteen!"

Their parents amusement slipped off their faces and realization dawned on them. "Oh." Hiccup breathed. "That's a very valid point, Finn."

"I don't know what is between us exactly," Finn admitted nervously. "But I can't just date a thirteen year old without knowing how I feel. Right? Besides, would Snotlout even go for that?"

Astrid bunched her lips to the side as she thought. "Hard to say. I'd say talk to her. She's very mature for her age."

"Yeah, but she's thirteen. I'm… not." Finn replied lamely.

"Erick is a year older than me," Adrianna said. "What's the big deal?"

"It's different when you're older. You know how much growing takes place when you're between thirteen and fifteen."

Hiccup snorted. "Try thirteen to thirty, kiddo. You're not even halfway there yet."

Finn winced. "Good point."

"I still say you should talk to Inga about it. See what she thinks. And, if you have guts, talk to Snotlout and see what he thinks." Astrid said with finality. Pulling a large box toward herself, she began rummaging. "Now, let's see what we can find."

Still tired from his journey home, Finn was very much content to watch his family rummage through the boxes. Occasionally someone would emerge from a crate with a pronounced "oh!" with the discovery of some old trinket of his or Adrianna's. Their mom's favorite so far had to be a pair of tiny brown boots.

"Ooohhhhh these were his first pair of shoes!" Astrid squealed, shoving them into her husband's face. "Just look at them!"

"Yeah," Hiccup drawled, eyeing his son's now not-so-small feet. "Just look at them."

Finn shrugged, even as Adrianna chuckled. He couldn't find the energy to come up with a sassy remark at the moment.

Astrid, however, raised an eyebrow. "Well he is _your_ son."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hiccup sputtered, hands gesturing wildly.

"Your family has big feet!"

"Wha- they did not!"

"Look at these!" Astrid whipped a leg up so fast that he had to jerk back to avoid a broken nose. Their children sniggered in the background. "I have small, dainty feet! So does your daughter. So Finn got his gigantic feet from your side of the family!"

"Hey!" Finn cried indignantly.

"Now Astrid, let's not be ridiculous," Hiccup reasoned. "Who knows where the big feet really came from?"

"Are we sure he's not half troll?" Adrianna asked from the depths of another box.

"I am _not!"_

"I do not want to know how that even would've happened." Hiccup replied with much sarcasm.

Astrid's eyes narrowed, but then she smirked triumphantly. "No, we surely have proof of who had the bigger feet."

Finn raised an eyebrow interestedly, wondering what she was thinking.

His father also straightened in his seat. "And what's that?"

Astrid smirked. "Well," she looked down at his prosthetic. "Toothless did save you by grabbing your leg with his teeth. And you were so teensy-weensy back then. So _obviously_ the biggest, easiest thing for him to grab was your gigantic feet!"

Finn snorted at her logic. "Obviously."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "So I assume my left foot was the bigger of the two as well then?"

"Of course. Lefties always have the bigger head."

"What?" Hiccup demanded. "Everyone knows that right-handed people are more favored!"

"This has got to be one of the weirdest arguments in our family, by far." Adrianna announced as she pulled a wicker basket onto her lap.

"I agree." Finn nodded with a slow, heavy blink.

The small action wasn't lost on his parents, however. "You can go upstairs and sleep a bit if you want, Finn."

He shook his head. "I'm good."

"Alright." Astrid hedged. "Just don't feel like you have to stay awake. You should let your-"

"Body rest when it wants to. I _know._ "

"Hmph. Okay then." Astrid sniffed, turning back to her husband. "Now, where were we?"

"Lefties are more superior to righties?"

"They are not-"

"Oooooh look what I found!" Adrianna interrupted, holding out a floppy leather notebook. "Dad, is this yours?"

Hiccup's face lit up in recognition. "Oh yeah! I never throw away a good journal."

"That's an understatement." Astrid drawled. "We used to have complete shelves covered in half used journals."

"I like journals!" Hiccup exclaimed. "Is that such a crime?"

"We don't have the space!" Astrid griped.

"Mom, headache." Finn muttered.

"You really should go to bed, Finn."

He frowned. "I'm just saying cuz you keep yelling."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Anyway," Adrianna held out the old brown leather journal. "Look at all these!"

Finn took the book and began flipping through the pages. Numerous pictures of dragons covered the pages, complete with scrawled notes on training the beasts. Size, height, weight estimations, favorite foods, allergens, anything you could possibly want on dragons had to be written down.

"I used to write it all down. Long before we had an actual book on training them." Hiccup explained.

"Oh here's some more!" Adrianna tossed another journal Finn's away, even as she rifled through a third book.

Finn flipped through this one, a stiffer backed journal that didn't seem nearly as old as the first. His parents chatted while they looked through their dad's old books filled with drawings and inventions and random thoughts. Finn smirked when he found a few pages on teenage drama between his parents.

"What are you laughing at?" Hiccup suddenly asked. His reputation preceded him; a Fearless Finn smirk was never a good thing.

"Oh," Finn sighed dramatically, holding the book close to his face. "Just reading your notes on pining after mom."

Hiccup suddenly jumped from the couch. "Don't read that one."

"Come on," Finn laughed, twisting away from his dad's grabbing hands. "I know how it ends!"

"Exactly, so you don't need- to- read- my- books- GIMME!" Hiccup snatched it from Finn's hands, and in so doing collapsed over the side of the chair with a loud bang. "Ow."

"Smooth." Astrid commented without looking up from her pile of journals.

"Better you than me!" Finn grinned.

"Awww look at the cute mommy and daddy drawings!" Adrianna cooed.

"Shoot!" Hiccup scrambled off the floor.

"Oooh I wanna see!" Finn tried to get out of his chair but decided against it when his side screeched in pain.

Adrianna evaded her dad's grabbing hands much easier than he had, since she had better range of motion. Seeing his dad's face go pink with awkward embarrassment was truly priceless however.

"Hiccup, do I even want to know what's in half these journals?" Astrid asked, eyebrow raised.

His skin tinged pinker. "Nothing _inappropriate_!"

"Then what's the big deal?" Adrianna asked, skirting around him into the dining area, still flipping through pages. "They're good drawings!"

"Let me see." Astrid held out a hand, waving her fingers forward insistently. "Adrianna."

The blonde sighed heavily and handed over the notebook. With quick but careful movements, Finn hopped into the seat next to his mom so he could see the images.

His dad was whining as he stood above them, hands flailing. "-always had to write everything down. Why didn't I ever learn?"

Adrianna peered over Astrid's shoulder as they flipped through the pictures. Many of them were pictures of people from the village, most of them their tight-knit group of friends. Fishlegs and Mealtug surrounded by rocks, Ruffnut and Tuffnut fighting on the ground ("I see some things never change," Adrianna had commented.), but their favorite by far was a drawing of Snotlout boasting about his pure awesomeness with quickly written dialogue above his head.

"Once an idiot, always an idiot." Astrid murmured.

Their dad's ability to draw was uncanny. They knew exactly who every person was in each drawing. Occasionally there was an individual that didn't resonate with Finn, and Astrid would flip the page faster.

"I hated that man."

Hiccup frowned. "Who?"

"Alvin."

"Oh." Hiccup sounded surprised. "I don't remember drawing him."

The next image was an exact likeness of Stoick the Vast. "Aww Poppy!" Adrianna exclaimed.

Finn smiled. "Looks exactly like him."

Hiccup sighed in resignation and plopped down in the empty seat beside his wife, Adrianna looming over their shoulders.

"I forgot about all those braids in his beard." Adrianna commented.

Hiccup snorted suddenly. They all looked at him with interest. "What?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup shook his head. "I remember this one night he took the cords out of his beard for wash day and…" He stopped to laugh a little. "His beard was three times the size as normal because his hair just got all frizzy."

"Oh dear." Astrid sighed.

"I couldn't help laughing! I was eight!"

Finn snickered even as his mom kept flipping through the pages. This particular notebook was larger than the rest and the binding wasn't as worn. Halfway through, Hiccup guessed that this notebook wasn't as old as the others.

Astrid smiled knowingly at her husband when a portrait of her from the shoulders up came next. Her hair was braided back with swooping bangs across her forehead, over her headband, and her big blue eyes were crinkled at the edges in a smirk, like she was telling Hiccup "I told you so".

"I'd say our son got my smirk." Astrid teased.

Even as his dad met her eyes, Finn could tell there was some nervousness there. Probably because his kids were looking through his old drawings of his, but he had to admit that his dad was still crazy over his mom, even twenty some years later.

"How old were you in this, mom?" Adrianna asked.

"Ask him," Astrid nudged Hiccup in the ribs.

"Oh…" Hiccup looked back at the picture. "Maybe seventeen?"

Finn breathed a laugh. It was strange to see a drawing of his mom at seventeen when he and his twin were currently seventeen.

They paused when an image of Dagur the Deranged appeared on the next page. "Why did you draw him?" Adrianna asked quietly.

Hiccup shrugged. "I used to have nightmares about him. I hoped getting it down on paper would help."

"Did it?" Finn asked.

"No." Hiccup reached up and flipped the page, hoping to close the conversation. Instead, they all froze.

Next was a single image of an elderly man sitting at a table, whittling a piece of wood. Wrinkles covered his face, but his eyes crinkled at the sides from smiling and laughing often. He looked calm, happy, content, just as they remembered him.

"Benen." Finn whispered.

"Oh honey," Astrid wrapped an arm around him and kissed his temple. It took him a second to realize a few tears had slid down his face. "We can-"

"No, it's okay!" Finn swiped his face quickly. "It's fine. I didn't even…" he stopped, unsure what to say. His dad was fidgeting on the other side of his mom, probably feeling guilty.

Benen's sudden death had taken a toll on all of them. He'd been a warm, happy light in their home in the aftermath of so much family struggle. He'd become another grandfather to the kids, a mentor and friend to the parents. Finn didn't doubt that a day didn't go by where his family missed Benen just as much as he did.

They didn't talk about the past nearly as much as they should. He didn't know if that was partially his own fault, because he'd handled Benen's death so badly. He hadn't been able to speak his mentor's name for months and months in the midst of grief. But those days had gone and while he still missed Benen dearly, he'd come to terms with the fact that death was a natural order of life. You can't prevent it and sometimes it comes when you least expect it. But you should still love and remember the times you had with that dear person you lost.

Finn swallowed. "Do you have anymore drawings of Benen?"

Hiccup look up at him, eyes strangely bright. He smiled wanly and took the book from Astrid. "I might."

A mutual feeling of understanding passed between them and Finn smiled at his mom and sister. He suddenly realized how much he'd needed this. Not after sitting at the healer's for so long, but after all the hard things that had happened in the last months. The feeling of security with his family was something he didn't realize he'd needed.

Despite all the bad things he and Adrianna had gone through, Finn realized that these were the times that got them through. The little moments of sitting quietly as a family, reminiscing in the old days and the friends and family they'd lost. Simply spending time with one another.

It was these thoughts that solidified something in Finn's mind. He loved his family. His hard-working, quirky, sarcastic dad that thought outside the box and cared about everyone he came into contact with. His strong-willed mom that didn't take no for an answer but had just the right words to say when something was troubling you. His compassionate, snarky and smart sister who somehow kept going when he'd probably have given up by now.

And now, he realized once again, she was pregnant. What sort of person was going to join their family in less than a year? What personality would he or she have? Would he like to draw like his grandfather or throw axes like his grandmother? Would she be smooth and sarcastic like him, or snarky and energetic like Adrianna?

Only time would tell. But for the first time, Finn could feel hope rising, and dare he say, a little excitement.

* * *

The next day, the village buzzed with excitement. Men gathered spare tools no longer needed and women collected things from around the house they no longer wanted. Finally, after a long time of waiting, Johann the Trader was coming.

Taryn herself was alight with excitement. She enjoyed Johann's visits as much as anyone else, but after almost a year of traveling, her little brother was finally coming home.

The last few times the trader had visited, Alton had spent nearly all his free time glued to the man's side, soaking up the stories of travel and adventure and other cultures. He'd _begged_ their parents to let him go with Johann, but they'd refused because of his age. Finally, the last time Johann had come to Berk and Alton's begging had grown insistent, they'd relented. Only they insisted he must wait until he was fourteen.

Now, _finally_ , he was coming home! The chief had received a letter that morning from Johann announcing their recent departure from an island west of Berk.

Taryn steered clear of her parents while they cleared out some areas of the house, wishing to trade old furniture for something newer. After choosing a few things of her own to hopefully trade, she left her house and gazed longingly at the sea. No ship could be seen yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

A clatter caught her attention and noticed Erick struggling with a few boxes stacked on top of one another. The smallest had fallen and sprayed its contents in a variety of directions.

She jogged forward and bent to pick up the items, wincing when the sunlight glittered off Erick's prosthetic and caught her in the eye.

"Thanks!" Erick said gratefully when she stood back up, the small box in her arms. "Excited?"

"You have no idea." Taryn grinned. "He's been gone so long!"

"Yeah, he has." Erick heaved the boxes in his arms a little higher, piquing her curiosity.

"What are you going to trade?"

"Oh, a whole bunch of stuff." Erick conceded. "There's a few geodes in there, some old leather shop tools that I don't use, some riding gear. A few pairs of boots that I never really wore." He shrugged. "I'm hoping to make some money, more than actually trade."

"Yeah?" Taryn's eyes glittered. "Why is that?"

Erick turned away, pretending not to understand. "Why is what?"

"Erick Larson, don't play dumb." Taryn followed him down the street. She was ever so thankful she'd worn comfortable shoes and pants today; she could keep up with the boys and their longer gaits when she wore pants and well-worn leather boots. "There's a reason you want to make money rather than stock up on things! What is it!"

Erick gave her a long suffering sigh. "I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it yet."

Taryn scoffed. "Why's that?"

"Because technically I haven't talked to Hicc-" Erick broke off, his cheeks going red.

Taryn giggled uncontrollably. "I knew it! You're trying to save money so you can provide for Ad-"

"SHHH!" Erick shushed her loudly, looking around nervously. "Don't be so loud! Like I said, I haven't even talked to Hiccup yet! And anyway, it's just financial preparation. It's not like I'm ready to… to _propose_ or anything."

"What are we proposing?"

"ANNIE!" Erick whipped around, very nearly knocking over his tower of boxed. Taryn struggled to keep her laughter inside. "Proposing? Who said anything about proposing?!" He laughed awkwardly.

Adrianna's left eyebrow shot ip into her hairline and Taryn noticed Erick's struggle to come up with some excuse. Luckily she was good at making excuses.

"We're proposing a welcome home party for Alton!"

"Yes!" Erick grinned at her, and faced Adrianna again, nodding vigorously. "Yes. A fine proposal to have a welcome home party! Obviously."

"Obviously." Adrianna's eyebrow hadn't lowered.

Erick gulped. "Yeah."

"How's Finn?" Taryn asked.

Adrianna's face split into a smile and Erick shot Taryn another thankful smile. "He's good! He still gets really tired very easily but he's hoping to come see Johann in a while, probably when the first big rush slows down."

"Great! I'm glad he's doing better."

"Guys guys guys!" Cliff suddenly pelted toward them around the corner and Taryn's heart did a somersault. "Do you think Johann would trade a butterfly for a brooch?" He screeched to a halt when he saw Taryn and very narrowly missed Erick and his tower of boxes.

Taryn's heart was hammering in her chest. Cliff stared at her with wide eyes, almost as if he'd done something wrong. They hadn't spoken since the day he'd shown her his oasis and her father had forbidden them from speaking. She felt awful, avoiding him like this. She could tell how awkward it was for everyone, not just them. Erick and Adrianna were sharing a sympathetic glance in her periphery.

Erick broke the silence. "I don't think Johann will find a butterfly an even exchange for a brooch."

"Besides," Adrianna added, glancing at Taryn. "If it's a brooch you're looking for, I'd suggest it as a gift for someone slightly older, like your mom."

"Oh." Cliff replied flat, still staring at Taryn.

She couldn't take it anymore. "Sorry, my mom wanted me to help clean out Alton's room since he's coming home. See you later!"

Taryn strode away as fast as she could without running. She knew she was good at coming up with excuses on the fly, but her friends knew her better than that. She couldn't hide her true emotions.

She entered her house and closed the door behind her with a heavy sigh. She stared down at herself, wishing she could talk to Cliff. She didn't know what was between them, but she felt strangely empty without being able to talk to her friend. Cliff was her friend before she'd ever considered him as something… more.

This was affecting all of her friendships. Every one of her friends was one of Cliff's "bruhs and sistas". She couldn't avoid him without avoiding them too, which she didn't want to do. But she'd been given a strict order. She didn't know why her dad held so much distaste for Cliff, but she couldn't be a recluse forever. Even though she wanted to please her parents, she'd never asked for anything before. All she wanted was her friend back. Was that such a bad desire?

"Taryn? Are you alright?" Her mother asked from across the room, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Yes." Taryn lied.

Suddenly the horn blew from the nearby docks, announcing the arrival of Johann's ship.

"Alton!" Taryn flung the door nearly off its hinges and she ran to the docks, not waiting for her parents to give her permission. She didn't care; she didn't need permission to greet her brother home and she didn't need to hold their hands to the docks.

She made it to the docks in mere minutes, feeling out of breath. It felt good to run for once. The ship was still out in the harbor, steadily coming closer. Taryn bounced on the balls of her feet, listening as the chief kept the crowds back for now to give Johann some time to breathe before opening up shop.

At long last, the ship docked and Johann's familiar face appeared over the side. "Ahhhh Berk! My favorite island of all my travels!"

"Johann, you say that to everyone you visit." Hiccup drawled, reaching up to shake the man's hand. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, Master Hiccup!" Johann smiled, cocking his head to the side. "You know, sir, if you return to my ship in an hour's time, I might be able to find a tonic for greying hair."

" _What?"_ The chief's hands flew to his hair. Taryn snickered, waiting for her brother to emerge.

"Joking, sir, only joking."

"I might have to draw up a trade sanction law for that one, Johann."

The crowd gasped but Hiccup waved his hands in a calming matter. " _Only kidding!"_

A collective sigh swept across the docks, including a heavy one from Johann. "Worst words a man of this occupation can hear, Hiccup."

"You see who has all the cards, then?"

"Aha." Johann nodded resolutely. He looked around in confusion for a moment. "I thought I told-" He marched away suddenly, his voice echoing across the deck. "Alton, tell me you haven't lost the ladder."

"No, I found it!"

Taryn's heart leaped as an auburn-haired teenager came to the edge of the ship, carrying a ladder. He heaved it over the edge with a strength she hadn't seen before and he grinned down at her.

"Hey sis!" Alton exclaimed, hopping down from the ship onto the dock with ease.

Taryn stared up at him. He was taller than her! He was no longer the little boy who left at an early fourteen. While he was still technically fourteen, his birthday was nearing, and apparently he'd had quite the growth spurt in his time away.

She engulfed him in a tight hug and was shocked when he nearly lifted her off the ground. "Alton, I missed you so much!"

"You too, Tare." He set her back down, brown eyes glittering. His skin was tan from long days in the sun. "Just you wait to see all the stuff I brought for you and mom. You're going to go insane."

"Travel was kind to you, Alton!" Hiccup clapped the teenager on the shoulder. "You had to have grown… six inches!"

"Four and a half," Alton replied sheepishly.

"Alton!" Their mother ran through the crowd and nearly tackled her son in a hug. "Oh my little boy!"

"Hi mom." Alton grinned up at his dad when he walked up to his family. "Hey dad!"

Clyde blinked a few times in surprise before smiling. "Welcome home, son."

"Come along, then! I've just prepared lunch!" Their mom tried to steer him away, but Alton paused.

"I should help Johann-"

"Nonsense, m'boy!" Johann waved a hand. "You've been talking about you're family nonstop for the last two weeks! Go on and spend time with them. You can take over for me in a few hours."

"Alright then. Thanks!" Alton quickly followed his parents up the ramp, accepting pats on the back from the line of people as he went.

Taryn paused, looking up at Johann. "Thanks for bringing him back in one piece."

"Of course my dear!" Johann patted her shoulder. "He's a good lad, that one, just like his brother."

Taryn's smile slipped for a short moment, but her interest lifted again when the man suddenly turned to Hiccup.

"Oh Chief, best have a look at this. You'll be expecting visitors soon enough."

"Visitors?" Hiccup asked, unrolling a piece of parchment Johann had given him.

Taryn was very interested in this, but remembered she wasn't part of the chief's council or Johann's trading business. Plus her family had already left. She eagerly bid them goodbye and ran after her family. Maybe she could convince Alton to tell her who else would be visiting Berk, and on such short notice.

She caught up with her family just in time to see Inga tackle Alton into a hug. He spun her around once and set her back down. Alton's words were suddenly cut off when Inga rounded and punched him in the arm.

"Ow! What- you never change, Jorgenson!" Alton whined.

"You did!" Inga gasped. "You're not a noodle, anymore! Now you've actually got muscles!"

"Oh come on," Alton rolled his eyes. "Working on a ship will do that to a person, but I'm still weedy!"

"Whatever you say!" Inga grinned, slapping his arm again. "I'm glad you're home! We have so much to talk about."

Taryn and Alton's dad cleared his throat nearby. Inga rolled her eyes and gave him a sweet smile. "Later, obviously."

Taryn stiffened but thankfully her dad didn't respond to the sass. Probably because not many people could argue with a Jorgensen and win.

"Seriously though, I'll catch you later okay!" Inga jogged back to the healers and the Brand family hustled back to their house, Alton already launching into stories.

Just before disappearing into the house, Taryn caught sight of a certain curly-haired boy watching from a few streets away. Taryn wanted to wave, to smile, to so something to raise both their spirits. But then her name was called and just like the quiet, demure, obedient daughter she was, she slipped inside and shut the door.

* * *

_**Greetings, Chief Haddock of Berk,** _

_**Please excuse our lack of formal greeting, but we felt the time was necessary to meet face to face. Trader Johann has kindly recommended we reach out to you, singling you out as the most level-headed of chieftains in the Archipelago. We humbly request a peaceful meeting with you and your council about the future between our villages.** _

_**A delegation of men will arrive at Berk forthwith. We will respectfully withdraw our men if you disapprove of our intrusion without prior request. Thank you for your time and I look forward to meeting you.** _

_**Respectfully,** _

_**Ivan Sullivan, Chief of Hjart** _

"A delegation?"

"Apparently."

Finn frowned down at the strange note before trotting after his dad, wincing at every pound of his feet against the wooden boards.

"Wait, when are they supposed to get here? Where exactly are they from? How many are coming?" The questions flew out of his mouth without thinking.

"I'm not sure, Finn," Hiccup replied calmly, striding up to Johann's ship. "That's why I'm setting up a perimeter just in case."

"Where is this…" Finn frowned at the paper once again. "Huh-jart Island?"

"Hjart, Finn." Hiccup chuckled.

"Hee-yart, then." He rolled his eyes, frowning with displeasure. Whoever these people were, they had a very strange name for an island. Berk was much simpler.

"As for where it is, it's west of here, about three hours flight."

"You've been there?" Finn asked in surprise, climbing onto the ship after his dad. He sighed, bracing a hand against his ribcage as he touched down.

"No. My grandfather tried to make peace with Hjart in his early years as Chief; as far as I can remember, they didn't take too kindly to the offer. Therefore, my dad was also unsuccessful." Hiccup frowned. "Come to think of it, I don't think he ever tried."

Finn perused a table covered in all sorts of items to trade or buy. He could already feel his bag of coins getting lighter at his belt. "So why are they coming here?"

"I expect we'll find out soon enough." Hiccup lifted a jewel-encrusted dagger with interest.

"Oooh let me see that!" Finn hopped over with wide eyes.

A chuckle sounded behind them. "You surely are your mother's son, Master Finn."

"Hey, Johann!" Finn turned and shook the man's hand.

"They both have very good taste," Hiccup commented, turning to Johann. "Astrid was looking at it?"

"Indeed! However, she decided on a less handsome piece. I believe her chosen phrase was," Johann threw up a couple fingers for air quotes. "'More practical for daily use'."

Father and son chuckled. "Still," Hiccup pulled out a pouch of coins. "Sometimes there's a place for nicer things. How much?"

"Ah take it, Hiccup! A gift for the missus!"

"Johann, we've talked about this."

"I couldn't possibly!"

"Johann, I know for a fact that this has traveled a long way. I'm not taking it for free."

Finn scoffed as he inspected a variety of metal shields. "How could you possibly know how far it's traveled, dad?"

"And tell you all my secrets?" Hiccup asked, incredulous. "Absolutely not."

"Pft." Finn rolled his eyes while the older men laughed behind him.

Chief and Trader finally settled on an agreed price, including a few items that Johann admitted he would need for his next trip. It was then that Finn realized Johann had been doing this job for decades, long before his dad had become chief. Hiccup had known Johann for most of his life. Johann's hair and beard were streaked with grey, the skin around his eyes wrinkled. Finn knew that Johann was getting up in age; surely he'd need to retire in the next few years. He seriously doubted the old man would be able to keep going for much longer.

Despite these thoughts, he watched in amazement as Johann scurried around the boat, lifting items of various heights, lengths and weight. He seemed spritely enough, but Finn would have to ask his dad later what he thought of the elderly man and what would become of his business when he retired.

"-wanted to ask you about this delegation, Johann."

Finn snapped to attention, even as he continued shopping.

"Ah yes, what about it?"

"Why are they coming?"

"Nothing to fear, Hiccup. They're coming under the banner of friendship."

Finn's brow wrinkled, even as his dad replied: "Hjart has never shown us friendship before. In fact, they've shown quite the opposite."

"Fifty years ago or more years ago, Chief. Hjartians are still a highly traditional people, but trust me, Master Hiccup, I would not recommend this meeting if I thought they were hiding ill-contempt."

"Wait, _you_ suggested this?" Finn whirled around, wincing at the annoying pain in his side.

Johann gulped under the hard gaze of the chief and his son. "They asked who I might recommend. They will explain everything when they get here, I assure you. I trust them as much as I trust you, sir."

"Still," Hiccup said quietly. "I hope next time you might ask my approval before risking the security of my island, Johann."

The Trader winced but stood firm in his words. "I understand, sir. Just give them a chance to speak, that's all I ask."

"Oh I'll give them a chance," Hiccup amended. "Just don't make me regret it, Johann."

Finn returned to the table covered in weapons in front of him, growing bored of the discussion. The coming delegation had piqued his interest, though he could sense his father's unease. He hoped nothing serious would happen, mostly because if anybody got violent, he was in no position to fight. In fact, he knew his dad would have him removed from the area without discussion.

With a sigh, he withdrew from the weapons table and walked to a closed cabinet. Opening it wide, he found a large stack of old animal skin maps, brown and musty with age. Unrolling one, he scanned the worn page for Berk, then moved his finger to the west. It took a bit of time but eventually he found the little island of Hjart, looking small and insignificant on the map. He didn't have much experience going west. Most of their allies were to the north and south. Berserker Island laid to the east, Outcast Island to the southeast. The only time he'd traveled with his dad on a delegation trip himself, they'd had no reason to go west.

Running footsteps drew his attention. He replaced the map and turned in time to see Alton Brand swing onto the deck of the ship. He blinked in surprise; the teenager was nearly to his nose in height!

"Wow, look at you!"

"That's what I said." Hiccup smiled, nodding at the teenager in greeting.

Alton clapped Finn on the shoulder with a modest shrug. "What can I say except thank the gods I'm taller than Inga now."

Finn snorted. "Luckily I've never had that problem."

"Yeah, lucky." Alton rolled his eyes. "Johann, I can take over whenever you're ready for a break."

"That sounds mighty nice right now, thank you laddie!"

Before another word could be spoken, the sound of a loud horn blasted across the harbor. Hiccup swiveled on the spot and ran to the edge of the deck, closely followed by the others. Finn elbowed his way between his dad and Johann, blue eyes on the horizon.

A ship had cleared the sea stacks and was heading their way through the stone warriors that guarded the entrance to the island. The delegation from Hjart had arrived. Hiccup wheeled around and left the ship without looking back. Finn sorely wished he could follow, but knew he didn't have the strength or energy to follow him up the steep incline.

"Where's he going?" Alton asked.

"Probably to gather the council." Finn murmured.

He watched as the ship slowly crept toward the docks. He began to see the vague outline of men on the ship, looking eagerly toward his village. Were these men peaceful? What did they want with their humble village? Was he worrying for nothing, like his dad, or was there something less than friendly in their intentions?

With a jolt, Finn left the ship and whistled for Zap. He didn't know what to expect, but as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't protect himself. Not with his side still healing. He needed his dragon by his side, at least until they knew what these people wanted.

He smiled with satisfaction as Zap dove out of the village with Toothless on her tail, following a wide variety of councilmen and women on their dragons. They spread out across the area, following the ship's movements with well-trained eyes. Zap touched down beside him and he turned to face the ship as finally, it docked.


	22. Hjart of Gold

As the ship approached from the harbor and neared the docks, Hiccup's mind flew into overdrive. He didn't expect anything dangerous from these men, but he couldn't be too careful. Despite the fact that they'd sailed with a white flag at the top mast, he couldn't help but wonder what was the purpose for this impromptu meeting, and if things wouldn't get messy if plans went awry.

Armed to the teeth with weapons and dragons alike, his wife and son at his side and the council fanned out behind, they were prepared for anything. He knew the entourage from Hjart wouldn't make it three steps into the village without his say so. They wouldn't make any attempts as far as he was concerned. His knowledge on Hjart was minimal, but last he'd heard they weren't on familiar terms with dragons. That alone told him that they'd steer clear of doing anything rash.

He couldn't help but shoot Finn a short, worried glance. What if something happened here on the docks? The last thing he needed was to fight; he'd tear his wound back open and need to restart his rehabilitation just as he was starting to get better.

"Dad, I'm fine." Finn muttered.

Hiccup scowled. "Just don't do anything stupid."

"Dad-"

"The second anything goes down, I want you on Zap and-"

"Dad, I _know_ ," Finn growled in a hushed whisper. "You don't have to-"

"Quiet, they're almost to the docks," Astrid hissed.

Toothless growled low in his throat as the ship finally made port. Hiccup made no moves to stop him and instead watched the men scurry around the deck of the Hjartan ship. Despite the unease gnawing in his stomach, he kept his expression calm and neutral. His gaze flicked through each individual, gauging their status based on the jobs they were doing and who they looked to for orders.

The only authority figure he could pick out of the group was a thick, bearded man with greying blonde hair, a helmet on his head and the fur cloak of a Chieftain on his shoulders. He had a kind face and dark brown eyes that he could spot even from this distance. Hiccup's assumption that this man was the chief was quickly disproved when a much younger man stepped to the edge and peered down at them.

It was obvious that this man must be Ivan Sullivan, the Chief of Hjart, based on the subtle movements of the other shipmates, and Hiccup assumed the older man must be his father, the former Chief. It was traditional for some Chieftains to continue to wear status robes and cloaks even after retirement. He was sure his own father would have done the same if he'd lived to see Hiccup take the mantle.

Ivan was tall and broad-shouldered like his father, yet his hair was dark and pulled back into a short tail. He too had a calm expression on his face, but Hiccup could tell that he was no pushover. While the older man looked simply pleased to be here, the Chief himself looked slightly wary as if he was unsure of the reception their arrival had brought.

"Are you Chief Haddock?" Ivan asked in a deep baritone voice.

"I am." Hiccup replied, stepping toward the ship with an arm outstretched. "Welcome to Berk."

Ivan bent down and grasped his arm tightly. Hiccup didn't miss how Ivan's eyes shot to his mismatched feet, the surprise barely masked in his expression. "Thank you for allowing us to dock, sir."

Hiccup gave him a wry smile. "Well I could hardly refuse, since you've invited yourselves." The Hjartans stiffened on the ship. "Luckily, I'm open-minded." He gestured for them to disembark, and the men visibly relaxed.

While the ladder was lowered and the men joined him on the dock, Hiccup shared a quick glance with Finn and Snotlout. They both had their arms crossed and he had to bite back the amusement that suddenly overcame him. They both had the same distrusting scowl on their faces.

Ivan signaled the older man, who stepped forward. "Sir, this is my father, Kiev Sullivan, former Chief of Hjart."

Kiev stepped forward and eagerly shook Hiccup's hand. "Sir, it's truly a pleasure to meet you at last. The famous Dragon Conqueror, I truly admire your work."

Hiccup couldn't resist the easy smile. "Call me Hiccup. Gentleman, can I introduce you to my wife, Astrid."

Axe glittering in the sunlight from her back, Astrid stepped forward and shook their hands in turn. Kiev winced in slight surprise when he withdrew his hand, flexing his fingers. "Strong grip!"

"Yes, she likes to break fingers." Hiccup agreed, ignoring her smirk. "And this is our son, Fearless Finn." He barely turned an inch and Finn was already there, shaking both of the men's hands. A part of him burst with pride when they gaped at the teenager in surprise.

" _The_ Fearless Finn?" Kiev asked with awe.

Finn bit back a smirk. "Call me Finn, sir."

"Ah, modest like his father, I see!" Kiev elbowed his own son in a jesting sort of way. "I like them already."

Ivan barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "Father, please, this is a serious meeting."

"Apologies son, I'm just so excited." Kiev gazed up at the random villagers flying past on dragons.

Hiccup laughed. "Well a serious meeting shouldn't be had on the docks. If you and your men will follow us to the Great Hall, we can discuss what you came for."

"Of course, thank you, sir." Ivan nodded and followed him as the Haddocks led the way up to the village.

In a low voice, Hiccup said to Finn: "You don't have to sit through this-"

"Are you kidding?" Finn whispered back. "I'm as eager to hear what they have to say as you are. And why shouldn't I be there, if they're fellow Chieftains?"

Hiccup shrugged with a smile. "Fair enough."

"Spoken like a true future Chief." Astrid smiled, looping her arm through Finn's and marching up the gangplanks.

Hiccup kept one eye on the Hjart delegates and the other on his villagers. Many of them had paused in their daily routine to watch the entourage pass through. A few children gazed up at the unfamiliar faces with awe and confusion. Kiev winked at Erick's niece and the child ducked behind her father's leg.

He quickly noticed, however, that the Hjartans steered clear of any dragons that crossed their path. They hadn't made any moves toward Toothless when they first met, which was unusual for anyone to claim awe for his deeds as "the Dragon Conqueror" without giving Toothless his due recognition as well. After all, he'd be nowhere without his dragon.

He pondered these things as they filed their way up the steps and entered the Great Hall. He allowed the delegates to spread out through the mostly empty Hall to rest after their long trip, while the Chief and his few council men sat around the table with Hiccup and his own team.

Hiccup's gaze lingered on Finn, whose face was red and sweaty. He willed himself not to say anything in front of all these newcomers, knowing that it would hurt Finn's pride more than it was worth to mention. It was Finn's pride, however, that had probably kept him at the front of the pack, and now he showing the physical signs of weakness.

As the Hjartans settled in their seats, he slid his gaze to Ruffnut, a few seats down from him. She raised an eyebrow and he quickly jerked his head toward Finn. As one of the go-to healers, she instantly understood and left the table.

"Alright, let's get this meeting underway." Hiccup said finally, his voice cutting through the din. He gestured toward Ivan sitting across from him. "The floor is open."

"Thank you, sir." Ivan began, but paused when Ruffnut and a barmaid made their way around the table, setting tall jugs of ale and water in front of every individual. All the Hjartans thanked them as they passed. Hiccup was grateful for her thoughtfulness; he'd only meant for her to get a drink for Finn and instead she'd considered the entire table of guests. This is why men needed women!

Finn shot him a silent, thankful look before downing half his mug of water in one go.

"For decades my family line has held our land in peace and prosperity without outside assistance." Ivan began, clasping his hands on the table in front of him. "We have been stubborn and strong willed, and back in the years of the great dragon scourge, we fought them. It has taken much time to cut back on our... old ways, as I'm sure you remember. We don't kill the beasts anymore; we wish to train them. However…"

"You don't know how." Hiccup finished.

Ivan sighed. "Exactly. We've heard rumors over the many years of your methods and its spread through the Archipelago, but our attempts have proved unsuccessful. Many people are afraid to try any further and it has taken much goading from my own council to get the votes to approach you with my request."

Hiccup pondered this information. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. "Alright?"

Ivan looked at his father, who leaned forward. "We would be truly honored if you taught our people how to train dragons. In exchange for your training, we would agree to pay a handsome price and offer you our services in military might."

Hiccup smiled knowingly. "I've heard rumors of this army of yours."

Ivan and Kiev looked pleased. "Have you?" Kiev asked.

"You're a secretive people," Hiccup eased forward on crossed arms. "But I've heard a few rumors over the years." He smiled at the intrigue on Finn's face.

"We don't normally allow people into our village," Ivan replied. "We have a few traders from distant lands who we've made agreements with, but I must say that Johann has especially proved his loyalty."

"Johann has been a valuable asset for Berk since even I was a child," Hiccup agreed. "Also, my grandfather spoke of his attempts at a Treaty. I was pretty young, but I do remember they came back a little worse for wear."

"Ah…" Kiev hung his head in shame, as if that skirmish had been his fault. "You can blame our stubbornness for that."

Hiccup snorted, sharing a look with Astrid. "Oh, we have plenty of that to go around."

Finn let out a derisive snort.

With a smile, Ivan gestured to his neighboring councilman. He reached into a satchel and withdrew a large bag, which clinked against the table once it was deposited between the Haddocks.

"We would pay you with this for your services." Kiev gestured to Finn. "Go ahead and take a look."

Finn pulled the string on the bag and whistled appreciatively. "Happy birthday to me." The bag was filled to the brim with round, pure gold coins.

"There's more where that came from," Ivan noted proudly.

"Really?" Hiccup asked, impressed. He inspected a few and passed the handful to Astrid. He smirked at Snotlout's wide-eyed, greedy expression on her other side. Tuffnut looked like he might start drooling on the table. He pressed a handful of coins to his face and inhaled deeply.

"One reason we have kept to ourselves all these years: Our land is flowing with natural resources. Gold, silver, copper, you name it. There are even diamonds in the eastern caves. Combined with our large numbers and strong army, we would be a great asset to your allied clans. However," Ivan paused, drawing out the word. "This is actually another reason we've come to ask for aid."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

Ivan looked a bit frustrated. "A few months ago, Hjart was raided. These men plundered our village, attacked some of our people. We fought them off and sent their ships running, but it wasn't until the aftermath that we realized that the fight within the village had been a distraction."

"Another group of men plundered our storeroom." Kiev picked up the tale. "Our resources are vast so our village is not in any danger of starvation. Our problem, Hiccup, is that these men were riding dragons."

Astrid straightened in her seat. "Dragon riders were attacking Hjart? How many?"

"At least a dozen in the village." Ivan replied.

"How many times have they attacked since?" Hiccup asked.

"Three times, sir." Kiev replied. "The last attack was not as successful, we tried to trap them. They got away with much less gold. But we cannot fight what we cannot control, and since we don't want to harm the beasts anymore… It's hardly an easy position to be in."

"No, it's smart." Hiccup agreed, thinking quickly. "What do these individuals look like?"

"They dress in all black and ride dragons of varying species. We have yet to catch anyone and they fly under no banner that we could see."

"So do you need help rounding these people up? Or is this part of learning to train dragons so you can do that yourselves?" Finn asked.

Ivan nodded. "The latter. We need to be able to protect our people and our financial system."

"I'll say." Hiccup leaned forward. "I have a question, however. Since you've always been so secretive, with numbers and wealth you could exterminate the dragons in your area without any of us knowing about it. Why now?"

Ivan's eyes seemed to dull with a tired look that only a fellow Chief could understand. "We tire of fighting with dragons. We are behind the times and we've only heard of the benefits that have come of it. We admire it, despite our fear. We wish to change our village for the better."

"All of our traders told us of Berk's success, especially Johann. He wouldn't stop singing your praises." Kiev tittered.

"Sounds like Johann," Astrid knocked Hiccup with an elbow, many others nodding in agreement.

"At any rate, military might and wealth, those things pass away with time." Kiev added with a wistful smile. "But knowledge is everything. And overcoming generations-long enmity."

A collective laugh echoed through the room in agreement.

"Yeah, so I have a question," Snotlout interjected. "You wouldn't be the first chief with a strong army to want dragon knowledge. How do we know that once you have that knowledge and add an army of dragons to your disposal that you won't attack us or our allied clans?"

"Luckily we prepared to answer that question," Ivan replied calmly. "We wish to sign an agreement with Hiccup, in blood if necessary, that we will not take advantage of his knowledge, and will not use our services to attack allied clans. In joining a union with Berk, we would like to grow this union to the other allied clans."

"Hmph," Snotlout snorted. "Good luck with that."

Kiev frowned worriedly. "How do you mean?"

"Outcast Island isn't particularly too fond of new recruits." Finn remarked with a set expression.

"Ah, I admit we have heard a thing or two about Outcast Island. Surely this must not come as a surprise, though? It is, after all, an island of outcasts."

"Outcast Island has grown in the last twenty years." Hiccup twirled a gold coin in his fingers as he spoke. "The agriculture has grown, their numbers have increased; some of them were born and raised to adulthood, so the convicts and outcasts themselves are getting up in age. Allie herself isn't a great person, but she hasn't been a horrible chief. I genuinely think she's made some good decisions for the island. We still banish people to Outcast if it's necessary and Allie will accept them, but for the most part the people have begun to flourish. "

"Surely banishments don't happen often though?"

Hiccup met their eyes levelly. "No. But I admit we have had a few recent banishments." From the corner of his eye he saw Heather stiffen in her seat, so he quickly changed the subject. "As for an agreement with Berk, I don't see any problem. We would hold you accountable of course."

"Of course."

"It's the rest of the allied clans you'll need to convince, as far as joining the union."

"Our aid would go towards any allies in need, of course, not only Berk."

"That's the problem though," Astrid sat forward in her seat. "There have been a few disturbances in the union in recent years. No attacks have been made outright, but we are still on edge."

Ivan frowned. "Does this mean the Treaty is weak?"

"Growing weaker, if anything." Hiccup ran a hand through his hair. "We have a meeting every ten years or so when we go over the treaty, discuss common issues, but in the years since the last meeting…" He bobbed a shoulder. "People are getting itchy to grab a weapon."

Kiev stroked his beard thoughtfully. "People in general or particular leaders?"

"Allie the Insincere of Outcast Island is on my watch list. If you make it into the union, and I'm sure you will, don't trust her."

"But in the event of joining the union," Ivan frowned. "I could not deny her aid if she requested it."

"According to the treaty, no, you couldn't." Hiccup sat back in his seat. "I tend to skirt the edges of the treaty. I won't risk the safety of my village for someone I don't trust. If you feel you should lead your people in a similar manner, that's alright with me."

"Sounds mutinous." Ivan frowned.

Hiccup shrugged. "I tend to do my own thing. That isn't to say that I avoid conflict. Most of the time I'm at the center of conflict. Camicazi of Bog Burglar Island and Kara the Kind of Brawn: they'll eagerly accept your proposal. They are Berk's strongest allies."

"Bog Burglar Island. That's the tribe with only women, isn't it?"

"That's the one."

"How does that work exactly?" At Hiccup's smirk, Ivan shook his head. "Ah, you know what? Another topic for another time."

Finn snickered in his seat.

"When is this next meeting?" Ivan asked.

"This coming March; Berk will be the host. The allied clans will meet here for a week, there will be a host of trading and food and entertainment; we'll set up a marketplace in the square. It's more than just political moves."

Kiev seemed to brighten. "That sounds fun!"

"You'll be in the boring meetings with me, father."

"Of course, right." Kiev rolled his eyes. "I haven't served my time at all, who says I can't enjoy retirement?"

Ivan gave a long suffering sigh and Hiccup suddenly saw himself and Finn in a few years.

"How long have you been chief, Ivan?"

Ivan's mouth set into a firm line and he shot his father a frown. "Six months."

"Ah that explains a few things. Not that you're doing a poor job at all, quite the opposite." Hiccup added quickly. "You just remind me of someone, that's all."

Finn rolled his eyes heavily, earning a chorus of chuckles from the table. Even Ivan cracked a smile.

"Anyway, that's all we have to say and offer, sir." Ivan spread his hands. "Unless you would like a stronger payment?"

"Well," Kiev's eyes glittered and Hiccup realized he was looking at Finn. "My youngest daughter is still single. I could throw her into the price if it made any difference."

Finn struggled to keep the horror off his face. He gave a surprised cough and finally managed to reply, "That's okay, I'm sure she's got some nice options at home."

"Hmph." Kiev replied, even as Ivan gave him an irritated scowl. "Engaged already?"

Finn flushed. "No."

"Oh well, in that case-"

" _Father_." Ivan hissed in horrified embarrassment.

"I'm kidding!" Kiev laughed with a wave of his hand.

Most everyone at the table was laughing at Finn and Ivan, who both were giving each other a shared "I hate my life" expression.

"Anyway, what do you say, Chief?" Kiev asked, returning to the discussion at hand.

Hiccup turned to Astrid, who gave him a discreet nod. Making eye contact with all of his council, even Finn, he saw that their vote was unanimous.

"I think I'd be stupid not to accept your offer."

"Excellent!" Kiev exclaimed, whopping Ivan on the back with a heavy hand.

Everyone stood and shook hands in celebration to their agreement. Hiccup found the men very respectful and easy-going, and now they could spread the knowledge of dragon riding to the west.

Hiccup dismissed his council to their usual duties, while he and Astrid decided to remain in the Great Hall with the Sullivans. They sat down once again to discuss the finer details of their agreement when Kiev's gaze strayed to Hiccup's left. "Are you alright, son?"

Hiccup and Astrid turned to Finn, whose face had gone pale. He looked like he was struggling to stay awake.

"Yes, I'm fine." He quickly rubbed the glazed look out of his eyes.

"Finn, why don't you get some air."

"Nah, I'm okay."

"Finn."

His son gave him that annoyed, disgruntled look. Hiccup raised his eyebrows in silent argument. He could feel Astrid's steely gaze on his other side.

"Go home, get some rest," he murmured. "Check on Addie for me."

Finn sighed longsufferingly before muttering his agreement. He stood and tried to hide a wince. "It was great to meet you both."

"Likewise," Ivan shook his hand once more as he walked past.

Kiev nodded. "I hope to meet you again soon, Finn!"

Hiccup's eyes didn't leave Finn as he left the Great Hall. When he heaved the door open and left the building, he realized Ivan and Kiev were staring at him and his wife silently.

"He is injured." Ivan commented.

Astrid sighed softly. "Yes."

"How did you know?" Hiccup asked.

"We've seen many injuries over the years," Kiev replied calmly. "At first I thought he was merely a quiet young man, but as the meeting progressed, I noticed his attention slipping, and not for lack of interest."

Hiccup nodded. "He's had a rough month."

"What happened?" Kiev asked, then seemed to backtrack. "If you don't mind my asking, that is."

He met Astrid's eyes, unsure how to reply. They seemed like good men, but they were still fairly new acquaintances. For both Finn and Adrianna's sake, he didn't want to divulge too much information.

Astrid seemed to read his thoughts. "Our daughter, Adrianna was in danger. He tried to help and got stabbed."

Both men winced, brows furrowed. "When was this?"

"About a month ago," Hiccup sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That first week was the worst, but he's a tough kid. He'll be okay."

"And your daughter?"

Astrid nodded. "She's alright."

"Oh good," Kiev sighed in relief.

Hiccup's heartstrings gave a mighty heave, but he ignored this. If these men were to be their allies, then they'd find out the truth and details eventually, just as would the rest of the Archipelago.

"Well, should we begin the finer points of this new agreement?" Astrid asked.

"A mighty fine idea, madam!" Kiev agreed.

She chuckled. "Please, call me Astrid."

"Of course."

For the next hour they laid the groundwork for their future agreement. In a week's time, Hiccup would fly to Hjart with a group of dragon riders. They'd go through a series of lessons with the villagers to teach them the basics of befriending dragons. Hiccup would then assign a team of riders to spend time at Hjart for a few weeks to begin fully training the people.

By the time they had a complete plan built for the coming months, the Great Hall had begun to fill for the dinner hour. The tables filled with villagers and at long last, the entire building was abuzz with conversation.

"You have a rather large village, Hiccup."

"Grows bigger every year," He nodded in agreement. A pair of blondes caught his attention and he waved them over. "Kiev, Ivan, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Adrianna."

Adrianna looked at the pair of men with surprise before a smile lit up her face and she shook their hands. "I heard we had some visitors. Welcome to Berk."

"A pleasure to meet you!" Kiev smiled up at her. His dark eyes flitted to Erick, who eagerly shook his hand. "Are you Adrianna's husband?"

Erick's grin faltered and he glanced at Hiccup. "Ah no, sir. Boyfriend."

Kiev and Ivan's smiles stiffened, but they made no further comment. It was obvious that they'd noticed Adrianna was pregnant.

Hiccup quickly spoke before the situation got more awkward. "Erick is apprenticing at our leather shop; he very well might take over for Horst one day."

"Is that so?" Kiev asked with interest. "You enjoy leather work?"

"As long as you don't have me stringing beads all day, I enjoy it." Erick joked.

"Do you make saddles at the leather shop or is that a separate job?" Ivan asked with curiosity.

Erick nodded. "Saddles are our specialty. We make everything from boots to bags to tool belts, but saddles fill up most of our time. The rest is usually seasonal."

"Ah, that's interesting. You'll make yourself a fine living in that profession, young man." Kiev nodded encouragingly.

"Thanks."

"Now what do you do in your spare time, missy?"

Adrianna's hands fiddled in front of her stomach nervously. Hiccup dearly wanted to hold them still to steady her. "Well, I usually watch the kids in the village and help keep track of all the records. But I haven't really done that in a while."

"More free time on your hands! Free time is the best time." Kiev winked.

Adrianna giggled. "I can agree with that."

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you!" Kiev patted her shoulder and smiled at them both. "We'll let you get some food."

"Thanks!" Erick grinned, gently escorting her to a nearby table. Adrianna smiled at them as they left, waving quickly at her parents.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Hiccup and Astrid leaned closer to them.

"We should explain-" Hiccup began.

Kiev shook his hands even as Ivan spoke: "No, Hiccup. You don't have to explain anything to us. These things happ-"

"No, please," Astrid interrupted. "We would rather you know the details than think ill of our daughter. It wasn't her fault."

Both men's uneasy smiles dissolved into confused frowns. "What do you mean?" Kiev asked quietly.

Hiccup hadn't wanted to have this discussion with them so quickly, but admitted to himself that it was necessary. They seemed to be genuinely good people with families of their own. Ivan had already told them about his wife and three children waiting for him back on Hjart. He didn't want them thinking ill of his only daughter.

He sighed heavily. "Erick is a good kid; he's her best friend. But he isn't her first boyfriend."

Kiev's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?"

"This other boy…" Astrid faltered. She suddenly looked like she wanted to grab her axe.

"He took advantage of her. In the worst way." Hiccup said quietly.

Ivan and Kiev looked stricken. "No."

"He ran, I assume to Outcast Island." Hiccup muttered bitterly. "Good thing, too or I'd-" He shook his head and looked away, watching his daughter toss a roll at Erick. She laughed as it bounced off his nose and rolled under the table.

"I'm so sorry," Kiev said quietly. "You didn't need to tell us."

Hiccup realized his eyes were burning and he roughly wiped his face. "No, it was necessary. The last thing we want is for people to think that she's done something wrong."

"She seems like a very sweet girl," Ivan commented quietly. "What of the boy who did this?"

Astrid shook his head. "We haven't seen him since he took off. Worst though is we didn't know why he took off. It was a month later when we found out."

"Goodness." Kiev sighed. He blinked and suddenly leaned forward. "This doesn't have anything to do with Finn's injury, does it?"

Hiccup winced. "Yes and no. A few other boys who were friends of Brandyn's, that's the other boy, they cornered her and tried to… well. Finn saw what was happening and tackled them. He fell on a knife and I banished them for touching my daughter and nearly killing my son, even if the latter was an accident."

"Good riddance." Ivan scowled. "Why didn't you kill them?"

"Our village hasn't been subject to that kind of brutality in decades," Hiccup said. "As much as I wanted to string them up by their necks, I didn't want to scar my village, particularly the younger generation."

"It would have made a sure example."

"So did launching them into a boat with holes in the bottom, I'm sure." Astrid smirked at her husband, and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Gracious, your family has had a rough year!" Kiev sighed. "I can't imagine my Thuggory or Genevieve going through any of this."

"Are those your youngest?" Astrid asked.

"They are," Kiev swelled proudly. "Thuggory is nineteen and Gen is nearly seventeen. Actually she's held a lot of interest in Berk in recent years."

Hiccup laughed. "Why is that?"

"Dragons make her nervous, but she's always found your people interesting. Since she was little, she'd ache for the days that Johann would come to visit so she could listen to all of his stories."

Ivan snorted. "But it was Thug that we barely convinced to stay home."

"Oh Thuggory," Kiev sighed. "He's the reason I have grey hair."

Hiccup and Astrid laughed. "Why's that?"

"He never stops talking," Ivan stressed. "And I do mean _never_. Always pranking people and chatting about something or catching bugs and putting them in my wife's cupboards. You'd think he'd mature up a bit."

"Oh dear," Astrid gave Hiccup a meaningful look. "Sounds a bit like somebody we know."

"Who?" Kiev asked.

Hiccup pointed over their shoulders at a certain curly-haired boy who was currently frolicking between the tables with a bowl of cookies. A swarm of Terrible Terrors were dive-bombing him from all sides and they could hear him yelling, "BE GONE, YOU FIENDS! ZE COOKIES ARE MINE!"

"Oh my gods," Ivan murmured. "It's Thuggory's twin."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow as Cliff ran up to him, clutching the bowl. "Chief! A little help!"

"Cliff, you know how to deal with Terrors on your own."

"Ya gotta help me man! Do you know the painstaking effort it takes to protect such chocolatey goodness!"

"Cliff."

"But I must protect the bounty!"

Kiev, Ivan and Astrid dissolved into snickers.

Hiccup did his best to keep a straight face. "Cliff, I trained you well. Go forth and do your duty."

"Chief, that is disgusting and I will forget you ever said that," Cliff remarked flatly. "Do you really want to be the one to keep a pregnant woman from her delicious treats?"

"Are they actually for Addie or are you just saying that so you can save the bounty for yourself?"

Cliff gasped loudly. "You dare insinuate that I would take advantage of my precious?! OW!" A Terror yanked on his hair with a extra fervor.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and whistled loudly. The Terrors squeaked and fluttered around him. "Who wants a cod?" He quickly snatched up an extra fish from dinner and launched it thirty feet into the air. The Terrors snatched and clawed over the piece of meat with relish and Hiccup raised an eyebrow at Cliff.

"See how easy that was?"

Cliff pouted. "I couldn't let them steal ma precious's cookies!"

"Okay okay, get outta here." Hiccup waved him off to Adrianna and Erick's table.

"Thanks Chief!" Cliff scampered away with his large bowl of cookies and announced his success to his friends, who'd been joined by Helga and Inga. Hiccup vaguely wondered where Taryn was when a hearty laugh brought him back to his table.

"He is _definitely_ Thuggory's twin."

"Let's agree that we'll never allow them to meet, or else one or both of our villages will burn to the ground."

"I'll drink to that," Ivan raised his glass.

The foursome clinked their large mugs and drank. Hiccup wasn't sure what was in store for the future, but with a smile he couldn't help but feel like a new friendship was blooming.

* * *

Erick was tired.

He'd been in the shop for six hours. Of course, most of the time, he didn't mind this. Cliff was more than enough to keep him entertained. But Cliff's mother wasn't feeling well and he had gone to "help rid her body of its frightful ailment by keeping her so entertained, she forgets she's sick." Or _something_ like that.

He was just thinking about throwing in the towel and telling Horst he would be back tomorrow when a familiar face stuck its head through the window.

"Charger?" he grinned, ducking slightly so that the window pane wouldn't whack him on the head. "What are you doing here, buddy?"

"He's with me," came Hiccup's voice from outside. He was leaning against the window with Erick's saddle under an arm. "Saddle up."

"I…" Erick glanced at Horst's office. "I should probably-"

"I already checked with him." Hiccup said, tossing the saddle at him. "Now let's go."

Feeling slightly apprehensive, Erick strapped the saddle onto Charger's back. Within a minute he'd mounted his dragon and took off just behind Hiccup and Toothless. He had no idea where they were going and he didn't feel comfortable asking Hiccup where or _why_ they were flying to who-knew-where. Although he had a sneaking suspicion that the conversation he'd been dreading would be happening quite soon.

Hiccup was silent. Erick watched as Berk shrank away into the distance, thinking wryly that if something were to happen and Hiccup were to snap, his screams would go unheard. But he certainly hadn't given the chief any reason to torture him… had he? He felt rather like he had when his mother called him over as a child. Usually if she wanted his attention, that meant he'd done something wrong.

Finally, after what felt like hours (but was probably nowhere near that long) they touched down on an island Erick had never seen before. It was much smaller than Berk but not unlike it in appearance. Hiccup dismounted and beckoned him over, still not talking. Erick followed wordlessly, although questions popped up in his head rather rapidly. What was Hiccup doing? Why was he being so quiet? Where was this island, anyway?

"You don't have to look at me like that." Hiccup said rather abruptly, making Erick jump. "I thought you might want to see this place. I'm not taking you here to make you disappear."

Erick smiled appreciatively. His apprehension must have shown on his face. "So, why…"

"Just a little farther, okay?" Hiccup beckoned him again and they walked through the trees.

A thought occurred to him after a few minutes and Erick couldn't help asking it. "Aren't the delegates from Hjart still on Berk?"

"No, I offered them a place to stay, but they insisted on traveling through the night. Something about 'taking advantage of our hospitality after a fine supper'." Hiccup chuckled. "They seem like very good men, but I think they're on the traditional side."

"How so?" Erick asked, intrigued.

"Well, in offering a girl to Finn as part of the agreement-."

Erick choked. "They what?!" He laughed. "No way! What did he say?"

Hiccup shook his head in amusement. "He handled it pretty well. Kiev was joking; at least I _think_ he was joking. At any rate, he'll find out soon enough that Finn isn't all that into tradition."

"Well yeah, you're his dad," Erick laughed again.

Hiccup smiled knowingly but stopped suddenly, gesturing outward with an arm.

Erick's eyes widened. An enormous waterfall stood in the center of the clearing, the sunlight hitting it at such an angle that he could see little rainbow flecks of water coming off it. He'd seen waterfalls before, of course, but nothing quite like this. The spray of water felt refreshing in the hot sun.

Hiccup took Toothless's saddle off and the Night Fury bounded forward. Erick had a split second to cover his eyes before the dragon leaped into the water, splashing water everywhere. Toothless was still a relatively young dragon, something that Erick remembered most clearly at times like this. Hiccup smiled, watching him hop around in the water for a bit before turning to Erick, who was just unhooking Charger's saddle. He waited for Erick to allow Charger to dive into the water before fully turning to face him.

"Now that you can't escape, I thought we should have a chat." Hiccup said, grinning presumably so that Erick wouldn't automatically think he was doomed.

"A chat?"

Hiccup sat down on a rock formation and patted the space next to him. Erick sauntered over and sat next to him.

"I think you know what this is about," said Hiccup, the smile finally melting off his face.

Erick nodded. "Annie."

Hiccup sighed, watching the dragons splashing each other in the water for nearly a minute. "I want you to understand a few things."

"Okay?"

Hiccup faltered for a moment. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. Finally he looked Erick in the eye again, an unreadable expression affixed to his face. "First, I want to know what your intentions are with my daughter."

Erick considered this for a few seconds. Yes, he and Adrianna had discussed the future in passing. But they hadn't thought as hard about it as they probably should. He felt woefully unprepared for this conversation with her father, at any rate.

For a second, he considered lying and telling Hiccup that he intended to marry her and raise her baby and live happily ever after. But that seemed a bit drastic, and probably a bit flippant. Finally, he settled on what was, perhaps, a bit of a cop-out.

"I… don't know exactly."

Heart pounding, Erick waited for Hiccup's response. He didn't have to wait very long.

"I thought not."

"It's not that I haven't thought about it, I just-"

Hiccup held up a hand. "I understand. I was young once too, as hard as that is to believe."

"It's not hard to believe, sir." Erick muttered.

"Sir?" Hiccup breathed a laugh. "I know this is a weird conversation but don't feel like you have to be formal."

Erick fidgeted. "Yeah but… well wouldn't you rather I make a good impression?"

"Despite the fact I've known you your entire life?" Hiccup grinned. At Erick's sputtered argument, he waved a hand. "All right then. Anyway, your plans. Have you thought about where you want to be in five years? Ten years?"

"Well… yes." Erick said truthfully. "The plan has changed a few times but… well, yeah. I have."

"Does Addie factor into it?"

Erick smiled. Were the situation any different, he might have been quite embarrassed to reveal the truth. "She always has. Since… since a couple of years ago, anyway." Erick rubbed his eyes. When he lowered his hands, Hiccup's sharp green eyes were still boring into him like a drill. "I love her."

"I know you do, Erick, but loving and spending your life together are two different things. They should go hand in hand in marriage, but you can love someone without marrying them." Hiccup explained, and Erick could tell where the conversation was going. "Do you intend to marry her?"

And there it was. The question that had been on Erick's mind since he'd found out Adrianna was pregnant. Truth be told, he still wasn't completely sure. Did he want to spend the rest of his life with her? He was only eighteen years old. That seemed extremely young to be making gigantic, life-altering decisions. And seventeen was even younger. Sure, they might want to spend their lives together _now_. But in ten years? In twenty years? Heck, in _one_ year they would have a baby to care for. It was a lot to think about and Erick wasn't thrilled at the prospect of being forced by circumstance to get married so young.

At the same time… it was _Annie_. The girl he'd loved his entire life, both platonically and romantically. The first and best friend he'd ever made. The girl who made his heart pound whenever he looked at her. He knew he loved her, genuinely loved her… but was that enough?

"Take your time." Hiccup prompted. "I'm in no hurry."

"It's a lot to think about."

"I know." Hiccup said, leaning back slightly as he watched their dragons play.

Erick rubbed his sweaty palms on his knees. "I have thought about it a lot. I just… I don't know, Chief, I mean… I don't know what I'm doing. I'm only eighteen and… it's honestly scary to make this kind of decision."

"I know."

"And she's going to have a baby. The last thing I want to do is make her situation worse or jerk her around."

"I know, that's why we are having this discussion."

Erick stood, feeling the need to pace. He could feel Hiccup's gaze on his back. "So what are you saying I should do?"

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, Erick." Hiccup replied. "I want _you_ to make a decision." Erick opened his mouth to argue and the Chief held up a hand. "Listen for a second. I understand _completely_. Do you know how long Astrid and I dated before I finally made a decision?"

Erick rubbed the back of his head. "No."

"It was a long time. Granted we were teenagers and we were involved in all sorts of… stuff." Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Anyway, by the time we were twenty we'd been together for years. She knew she wanted to marry me, but what was I doing? I was off adventuring and making maps and tooling around the Archipelago with Toothless. It took some time but I finally realized that I had to make a decision. Getting over my wanderlust wasn't going to come overnight. If I wasn't willing to put aside my insecurities or hobbies for her, then why were we even dating?" Hiccup's eyes bored into Erick's. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Erick nodded. "Yes."

"I understand what you're feeling completely. It's a different situation and more hinges on you and Addie, especially concerning the baby. But she's already devoted to you, Erick. That should scare you a bit."

Erick nodded again. "It does. Because if something happens…" He sighed. "I don't want to be the next guy to break her heart."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Erick." Hiccup said calmly. "I don't mean to put pressure on you and force you to make a decision right this second. But I want you to understand that if I give you my blessing and you tear her apart, I'm afraid there won't be anything left. She won't give another man a chance."

Erick's mouth was dry. It was a terrifying thing to consider.

"So," Hiccup said in a bit calmer tone. "Considering how much you care about her, I can see this working. Arguments happen in marriage, you offend each other, and you both have to learn to accept that you're wrong sometimes and be humble enough to apologize and ask forgiveness. You and Addie have already had to do that before in your relationship, which is good. In a way, you've already gotten a head start."

Erick gave him a wan smile and sat down once again. "It wouldn't be easy with a baby though."

"It's not; you're talking to the man who's life changed from single to married with _two_ children in less than a year." Hiccup's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline and Erick laughed. "Addie's resilient. I know she can get through anything. The way she fails and then gets back up and tries again, I admire that. I think she got it from both Astrid and me. She has gone through things that I could never have imagined. Would never have wanted." Hiccup paused and Erick waited patiently, knowing he had more to say.

"In February," Hiccup continued, his voice much softer. "You might be put in the same position I was seventeen years ago. Holding your newborn daughter and feeling things you never thought you could feel for another person erupting through you. And the most horrible things will pop into your head. What if someone takes her away? What if someone hurts her? She's so precious that these sorts of things are your worst nightmare. The sorts of things that make your blood run cold at night when you're drifting off to sleep. And, with the exception of her dying, all of those things have happened."

Erick felt a tightness in his chest. He hated that about this past year. Or maybe the past seventeen years. Adrianna had endured far more pain than she should have, than _anyone_ should have. There had always been a distinct difference between her and Finn, even since they were small. Finn had blundered into the painful situations. Adrianna had been victimized. She hadn't asked for any of it. And yet she had stayed strong. Sure, she cried a few tears over it, she let herself feel the pain, but then she got up and kept on going. It was something he'd always admired about her.

"She doesn't let that stop her." Erick said after a few seconds' tense silence. "She never has."

"No, she doesn't." Hiccup agreed. "But that doesn't mean she deserves to have it happen again. And that's why I need something from you before I give you my full blessing."

Erick swallowed hard against the tension roiling in his stomach, even though he already knew what was coming.

"Barring any extreme circumstances that can't be foreseen now, I need to know with confidence that you plan on marrying her. If you think about it tonight and realize that you don't think you can do it, I want you to end it tomorrow." Hiccup's green eyes pierced his. It felt like Erick's heart was in his throat. "It would hurt her but it's soon enough that I think she'd be okay with time. I don't _want_ that to happen; I would be thrilled if this worked out. But I won't have her heart broken again, especially not by you. It isn't fair to her or her baby. The last thing she needs is to have this baby in a few months and you come to realize that your heart isn't in it."

Erick considered it for a few moments, but the words resonated in his head. It was okay to be afraid, to have insecurities. If anybody deserved to have insecurities right now it was Adrianna, and she trusted him. She needed him and one day the baby would need a father. He didn't know how to be a husband or a father, but no man did without prior experience. He loved Adrianna, and even though he didn't have any biological ties to her child, he'd already grown attached to it. He didn't just want to know his best friend's baby one day. He wanted to be there when it took its first breath.

"I will." Erick didn't know where the confidence came from, but he knew by the rush of determination in his chest that it was real. "I want to be here for both of them. I won't leave her."

"You realize I am begging you not to break my daughter's heart?"

"Yes." Erick nodded. "I won't fail you. That's not to say I won't probably screw up sometimes. But I'm not going anywhere."

Hiccup stared at him with an unreadable expression for a few seconds before putting an arm around his shoulders. "Welcome to the family."

Erick couldn't help the grin that split his face. He honestly hadn't felt this lighthearted in a long time. He'd been dreading this conversation for so long. Now he felt like he could run a mile. "Thanks."

"You know if you hurt her, I'll kill you."

"Not if I kill me first."

"Very funny."

The men laughed and watched their dragons play. For the first time since Adrianna had told him she was pregnant, Erick looked over at Hiccup without a hint of trepidation, and realized that he was probably looking at his future father-in-law.

* * *

Erick touched down to Berk at dusk. He was tired from the long flight back but eager to find his girlfriend. He gave Charger a hearty scratch under the chin before waving him toward the hangar and bidding him good night.

Pushing through the crowd, he finally spotted Adrianna walking down the street, apparently lost in thought. A few months ago, he would have hurried up behind her and put his hands over her eyes and whispered, "Guess who?" Now he knew that such an action would likely give her a panic attack. Instead he jogged down the street after her, his hurried steps catching her attention. Seeing her face light up made him smile so much, he could feel the dimples on his face.

"Hi." she said breathlessly, stopping so he could catch up. Her fingers slipped into his almost instantly.

"Hey." Erick nudged her side. "What's up?"

"I was finger-painting with Ava today and then she decided to see if she could feel the baby kick." Adrianna opened her light jacket to reveal a small, green handprint on her belly.

"Well did she?" Erick asked, grin widening at the amusing mental image.

"She says she did." Adrianna shrugged. "Pretty impressive since I haven't felt anything yet."

"Well I think green suits you. We should make that the color of the nursery." Erick said.

" _We_?"

Erick felt heat rise to his face. "Uhh… I meant…"

"No, don't fix it." Adrianna squeezed his hand. "I like that you said we."

He gave her a giddy smile and swung their hands between them. He felt like a lovestruck fool.

"What are you grinning about?" Adrianna asked.

"Nothing."

"Nobody smiles like that over nothing," she pressed into his shoulder, looking up at him with big green eyes. "Tell me all your secrets, Mr. Larson."

His heart leaped and looking away, he sighed heavily. "Don't _do_ that!"

"You should not have told me about it then!" Adrianna laughed.

"I had to because you wouldn't stop saying it!"

"It's not my fault."

Erick rolled his eyes. She had him there. "How's Finn?"

Adrianna's expression shifted. "Tired. He was changing his bandages when I left. The wound is all dark and red and blegh." She shuddered. "I feel really bad."

"Don't feel bad," Erick replied firmly. "He was protecting you." He slid an arm around her waist and kissed her forehead chastely.

"I wish I was strong enough to protect myself for once." Adrianna mumbled.

Erick thought about this. "Well maybe one day you can."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I heard your dad say a few days ago that he'd like our age group to start training more. Knowing how to fly our dragons is great, but when it comes to hand to hand combat…"

"We're slacking." Adrianna summed up.

"Basically." Erick stopped and removed a pebble stuck in his prosthetic, using Adrianna's shoulder for support. "I wonder if the new allies would be willing to help with that?"

Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "Training our people? We have plenty of people who know how to fight."

"Yes, but I've actually read about Hjart." Erick smirked at her pout. Yes, there were some books he'd read without her knowledge. "There's a whole section on their army. After the initial Settling Wars and the Vikings chose their lands, Hjart built up their army to decimate anyone who'd try to pick a fight. It was rumored that their island was pretty wealthy."

"Finn said they were paying us in gold." Adrianna agreed. "You just found this book in the records?"

Erick tapped the side of his nose. "Something like that."

"I want to read it!"

"Okay, I'll give it to you tomorrow." He grinned down at her, his stomach tying in knots. The sunset above them was giving her green eyes an almost mysterious look. He didn't know if it was the atmosphere or his talk with Hiccup, but he couldn't help but think she was looking radiant tonight.

Adrianna made a face and shook her head. "What?"

"Nothing!"

"You keep staring at me."

"Is that such a crime?" Erick grinned.

"You're just acting weird," Adrianna poked his ribs, making him jump away. "You never give me doofy smiles."

Erick snorted. "Doofy smiles?"

"Yes, doofy smiles."

Adrianna looked around even as he still looked at her (though he tried to be more discreet). Her hair was pulled back into a low tail this evening; she'd probably pulled it back when babysitting Ava. Her bangs had gotten longer recently, skirting the edge of her cheekbones. It probably annoyed her, judging by how much she pushed them out of her eyes. The best part though was her little baby bump poking out of the edge of her jacket.

Erick tried to hide the massive grin that took over his face and Adrianna huffed. "Alright, that's it."

"Wha- hey!" Adrianna had grabbed his arm and tugged him into a side street.

Before he quite knew what was happening, his back was to a wall and Adrianna's mouth was on his. Erick sighed and rested his hands on her waist, kissing her back with just as much fervor. Adrianna tugged on the short ends of his hair, pulling him closer even as she pressed her body farther into his.

Erick slid his hands up her sides and Adrianna moaned, pulling away softly. He'd never before been so daring, but he kissed along her jaw to the soft patch of skin beneath her ear, and suddenly she was panting in his ear.

"Erick-"

"Shh, it's okay," He straightened, holding her face gently in his hands. He kissed her again, turning them so her back was against the wall. He gasped when Adrianna nipped his lip and she gave him a mischievous smile before he was kissing her again.

She was everything to him. Erick resolved that afternoon that she would be a part of his future and he would be a part of hers, and they were going to raise her baby together. It wouldn't be just her baby then: It would be _theirs._ It would be hard and scary, but it would be an adventure with her. Little had he known what his future held that day he'd given the scared little girl a hand-drawn picture in the hopes of making her happy. Now, years and years later, little did she know just how happy she made him every day, despite her flaws and struggles and fears.

Adrianna pulled away from his mouth breathing hard, her hands still deep in his hair. Erick realized he too was panting. "Whew…" Adrianna laughed, dropping her forehead onto his collarbone.

Erick laughed too, kissing the top of her head. "Hey, this was all your fault."

"Oh no," Adrianna glared up at him with those beautiful green eyes. "You were the one who wouldn't quit looking at me like that."

"Like what?" Erick blinked, honestly confused.

"Like you wanted to pull me down here yourself!" Adrianna exclaimed.

"No, I-" Erick laughed a little. "No, I mean maybe, but I wasn't thinking about that."

"Then what, pray tell, were you thinking about that was so amusing?"

"Thinking about us is amusing now?" Erick asked.

Adrianna smoothed her hands across his chest, whether to smooth out any wrinkles or divert his attention he wasn't sure. "Why were you thinking about us?"

"I'm always thinking about us," he replied truthfully.

She poked him in the chest. "Stop."

"No, really. I'm always thinking about us." Erick paused. "All three of us."

Adrianna looked up at him in surprise. And there it was: A spark of unsurety in her eyes.

"Annie," Erick rested his hands on her shoulders and slid them down her arms. His heart was pounding and he wasn't sure why exactly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Her forehead creased in confusion. "I know that."

"No, Annie…" Erick paused, gathering his thoughts. "I want to be here with you every step of the way. It's more than just being your friend, more than your boyfriend even." Gods, what was he saying?

She seemed to be thinking the same thing. Then amusement stole over her face and she grinned up at him. "Are you trying to propose in a deep, dark alley?"

Erick flushed. "No!"

"Hardly a romantic place for such a thing," she teased.

"Would you just hush so I can get this out!" Erick sighed, half amused. "This is important."

Adrianna gave him an amused "mhm", leaning back against the wall.

Ignoring her goofiness, he tried to gather his thoughts again. He met her eyes and realized she was glowing; it hadn't been the sunset or his stimulated emotions. Gazing down at her slightly distended belly, he rested a gentle hand on her waist.

"I talked to your dad today." Erick met her eyes again and he saw her amusement had disappeared. "We talked about the future. What my plans are."

Adrianna swallowed. "Okay?" He could hear that small amount of unease in her voice.

"He wanted to know my intentions. At first I was really afraid to talk to him about it, but… I'm glad he did. Because now I'm confident with my answer." Erick rested his other hand on her waist and stepped closer. "Annie, I don't want to just be your best friend anymore. I want to build a house for us, I want to wake up next to you every day. I want to help you raise this baby even though I don't have the faintest idea what I'm doing."

Adrianna laughed softly, reaching up to swipe under her eyes. "Me neither."

"I know," Erick said softly, wiping her cheeks with a thumb. "I can't promise that I won't hurt you sometimes because I can't be perfect. But I can promise you that I won't leave you, or your baby. I want to be there every step of the way, right next to you." Erick sighed self-consciously. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to marry you someday, Annie. I love you and I don't want you to ever think that one day I'm going to get tired of you or wish that I had moved on. You're the girl I want and together, I think we can make this work. All three of us."

Wiping her face again, Adrianna tittered. "So it kinda was a proposal in a sense?"

Erick sighed and Adrianna laughed harder. "Yes but no. I'll… come up with something nicer. A little less spontaneous."

Adrianna pulled him closer for a warm, slightly wet kiss from her tears. "I'd like that." Her eyes lit up once again. "Then I can call you Mr. Larson every day."

"Oh gods, woman." Erick sighed. Grinning, Adrianna took his hand and he watched in surprise as she rested his palm on her stomach, right over the bump. Erick felt some wave of emotion take over him that he couldn't place. Perhaps it was protection; he wasn't sure if he could call it love just yet. Maybe, just maybe, it was possession.

Adrianna pressed her hand overtop his and he looked at her; she was smiling at him in a way he couldn't name. Leaning forward, he kissed her with as much devotion as he could muster, his hand still on her distended belly.


	23. Trustworthy

Finn hated his body. As the close of August quickly approached, he still wasn't fully healed and thus, he was left to watch the fun and games play out from a distance.

Nothing was more agonizing than watching his friends swim while all he could do was sit on his rump all day. The summer was drawing to a close faster than the young adults could blink. Therefore, they'd quickly organized an "end of the summer swim party".

Finn had worn swimming shorts and a loose shirt to the beach, trailing a ways behind his friends while they tore down the docks to the ocean front. But with his side still tender and his seemingly constant lack of energy, he'd found himself sitting in the sand a few yards back from the water's edge.

Zap had taken off halfway to the beach, chasing after Cliff with her tongue lolling past her teeth. Cliff had leapt off the docks with a screech of glee before dousing half the group in a large wave. Pretty soon the other teens had joined him in the water, leaving Finn to sit in the sand and soak up the sun.

With a sigh, he turned his face upward into the sun. His skin would probably burn and freckle worse than it already was, but he didn't care. If he couldn't partake in the activities, at least he could look the part.

A girl's screech caught his attention. He looked up in time to see Alton drag Inga off the docks. Her head went under and when she came up spluttering, she dunked Alton under with both hands. Erick and Adrianna were sitting side by side at the end of the docks, kicking their feet back and forth in the water. Finn wondered if Erick had taken off his prosthetic. He seemed to be a little more self-conscious about his stump than Hiccup.

Helga was on Thorein's shoulders as he waded through the waters; she was pointing toward the open ocean and daring him to go out as far as he could before they both sank. Morgan and Evan were standing in the water side by side, watching them go, the latter shaking his head in disbelief. From her perch on the docks, Taryn was laughing at Alton and Inga, who were having a splash fight with Cliff and Zap. The Shockjaw plunged underneath the waves, barely giving Cliff time to take a deep breath before disappearing completely.

Finn had discovered that swimming with Zap could be extra fun, but you had to pay attention. He'd learned the hard way their first summer together that the Shockjaw liked to take to the depths in sudden spurts and if you weren't careful, you could easily drown. He'd had to teach her pretty quickly that people couldn't hold their breath as long as she could. Luckily the incident hadn't happened again.

As if on cue, Zap emerged from the water in a flash, going so far as to leap ten feet into the air. Cliff apparently thought it a wise idea to leap off in that instant. He plunged to the water and Finn heard him yell, "CANNONBALL!" even from that distance. The resulting tidal wave caused by Cliff and Zap's combined splash engulfed the entire docks, dousing Erick, Adrianna and Taryn. Thorein lost his balance, pitching headfirst into the waves and losing Helga. Surprisingly, Evan kept Morgan on her feet when the waves engulfed them. Finn snorted at the girls' high pitch squealing when Cliff's curly head broke the surface. Finn thought for sure his friend was grinning roguishly, despite all the girls' scolding. For not having any siblings of his own, Cliff was definitely everybody else's annoying little brother.

If Finn had the energy, he could join them on the docks. At least get a little wet, splash the girls, shove Erick in from behind. But that would require getting up out of the sand, which would require conscientious movements without his side hurting, and he simply didn't have the motivation to deal with it right now. It was becoming a nuisance and he'd never hated moving around so much.

With a huff, Finn tossed his towel behind him and lay down, the heat of the sand momentarily scorching his back. He stared up at the blue, cloudless sky and wondered how long it would take for his body to go back to normal. It had been more than a month since Cale had stabbed him and he _still_ wasn't better. Mara kept insisting he was on the mend, but how long did it have to take?

His friends' cackling and the ocean waves hitting the shore blurred in the background and after a while of staring into the open skies, he could feel his consciousness slipping. Almost against his will, his eyes slipped to a close and he felt himself dozing off.

"Hey!"

Finn jerked awake and instantly regretted it. The usual throbbing in his side made itself known once again and he ignored the impulse to press a hand to his ribs. Gingerly he sat up to see Inga jogging toward him, dark hair dripping.

"Oh, were you asleep?" Inga asked with a slight wince.

"I don't sleep, I meditate."

"Oh really?" Inga flopped down beside him. She wrung out her hair with both hands and a few drops flew onto his bare skin. "Does somebody with such a big head know how to think?"

"Your rudeness truly knows no bounds."

"Nope!" Inga grinned. "Also, you're red as a lobster."

"Ugh really?" Finn scrunched his face, feeling the crispness of his skin. Yeah, he definitely got burned. "Mara will be so pleased."

Inga rolled her eyes. "You've been cooped up inside too much. You need the fresh air."

The firm caring in her voice always surprised him. Inga could be brash and blunt, just like him, but sometimes she had a softer side. He wasn't sure if it was his recovery or simply him that brought it out.

Inga pulled multiple handfuls of sand over her legs. Finn watched as she began to bury her lower half and snorted. "We buried my dad once when we were little."

"Yeah?"

"It was really fun until we lost his prosthetic."

Inga's blue eyes widened. "No…"

"Yes." Finn chuckled.

"I assume you found it."

"Eventually."

Inga laughed, drawing pictures in the sand with her finger.

A scream caught their attention and they looked up in time to see Cliff pulling Taryn towards the edge of the water. He kept a firm grip on her wrists and fell backwards, dragging her with him. Taryn screamed as she sank below the waves, the other kids laughing as she scrambled back toward the docks. Cliff swam toward her and Finn dearly wished he heard what had been said, because Taryn shoved him back into the waves before marching off the docks with a turned up nose. Erick and Adrianna were cackling, calling Taryn to come back, but she'd already walked into the sand toward Finn and Inga.

"What did he say?" Finn asked.

Taryn huffed. "He told me to not be so crabby."

"Well, he's got a point." Inga mused.

"No, that's not-" Taryn broke off with a sigh. She sat down on Finn's other side and straightened her bathing suit. "It's an inside joke."

Finn didn't know Cliff and Taryn had any inside jokes. In fact, he hadn't seen them talk for a few weeks now. Erick had filled him in on Mr. Brand's ban, and it was only thanks to Alton that she'd been allowed to come to the beach today. Finn's dad drove him up the wall sometimes, but he couldn't imagine either of his parents being _that_ overbearing.

But by the way they constantly stole glances at each other, however, Finn knew just as well as anyone that Cliff and Taryn liked each other. If only the Brands would give them a chance…

Taryn met his eye and he gave her a small smile. She smiled back before her eyes strayed to his other side, toward Inga. She nodded her head in that direction, her smile widening. Finn glanced in Inga's direction but focused on the water instead, ignoring Taryn's hint. In truth, he didn't know how he felt about Inga. Sure, he enjoyed hanging out with her a lot and she was really fun to talk to, but he still had some insecurities. Being in the healers for so long and having her present for all his medical needs certainly hadn't helped at all.

"Will you help with the harvest?" Taryn asked brightly.

Finn frowned. "I hope so. I've helped with the harvest since I was five."

"I'm sure you'll be there when it starts," Inga said. "It won't start for another month."

"Maybe."

"When is your dad leaving for Hjart?"

"Tomorrow." Finn frowned, trying to hide his bitterness. "I wish I could go."

"You will soon," Inga said.

Indignation flared in his chest and he held back a retort. He was getting really tired of people telling him he'd get there, he'd be healed up soon. He'd been doing nothing but resting the last month and a half and it wasn't getting him anywhere. He wanted to participate in things _now_.

"I know that look."

Finn closed his eyes in annoyance. "Inga, not now."

"You're still healing-"

"Inga, I _know_!"

Taryn held out a hand. "Okay, guys…"

Finn exhaled heavily, staring up at the sky once again. He waited for his pulse to slow once again before speaking. "This is the most frustrating thing I've ever had to go through. I don't need reminding of what's going on."

Inga scowled. "I'm just trying to help."

"Well sorry," Finn sighed, carefully rocking to his feet and standing. "But it's not."

He left the girls sitting in the sand and walked toward the docks, ready for new company. He didn't want to take out his frustration on Inga, but he'd been hearing the same advice for the last five weeks from his parents, Mara, the councilmen, even some of the elderly in the village who felt the need to give him their two cents on rehabilitation. He didn't need the lecture from his friends, too, not when the point of coming out here was to relax.

Adrianna smiled when he sat down on her other side and plunged his feet into the water. He sighed heavily, hoping he didn't look as tired as he felt.

"Want to get in?" Erick asked.

"No, but you get bruh points for trying."

"Sweet, I always wanted extra bruh points," Erick smiled widely. "Also, what are bruh points?"

"Points twixt the bruhs, bruh! Obviously!" Cliff swam toward them, nearly spraying Adrianna with water.

"Obviously." Erick replied sarcastically. "I wasn't aware we were keeping score."

"Uh hello, bruhs always keep score." Finn chided.

Cliff lifted himself out of the water and sat down on Finn's other side. "Yeah, where've you been?"

Erick rolled his eyes. "I'll never understand you guys."

"Well maybe if you pulled your head out of the clouds for once-" Finn began.

"Don't make me shove you in, Finn." Erick warned.

"Don't shove him in," Adrianna interjected. "Otherwise I'll get super wet."

Finn pouted. "Why is everyone being so rude today?"

Cliff patted his knee gently. "Go easy on baby Finny here, he's having a rough time."

Finn planted his hand on Cliff's chest and shoved him into the water. Erick and Adrianna laughed, dodging the spray of water. The action made his side twinge in pain, but again he ignored it, instead smirking at the sputtering curly-top below. "I'm still stronger than you, noodle."

"Hey, I'm not a noodle. I'm a lean machine!"

Erick laughed out loud. "Which explains why you're so easy to shove off the dock."

Cliff raised an arm to splash the trio, but Adrianna flung out her hands. "NO!" He lowered his hand back into the water with wide eyes before slowly floating away.

Finn looked over at his sister, who was wearing mid-thigh length shorts and a tank top. Astrid had tried to find her a bathing suit for the afternoon, but finally she'd settled on a lightweight outfit. Her distended belly was clearly visible beneath the tank top and more than once, Finn found Erick glancing down at it.

Adrianna had been consistently happier in the past few weeks. Finn didn't really know why, if it was hormones or what, but it seemed that Erick was also in a greater mood. When he asked what was so exciting, Erick had merely murmured something about "the future". Finn had decided from that point on that he didn't want to know what was going on in his friend's head until it was general knowledge.

Cliff suddenly yelped when a blue-green mass emerged from beneath him, lifting the teen clear out of the water. Finn's eyes widened and he flung out an arm over Adrianna. "ZAP NO!"

The Shockjaw shook violently in the water, sending Cliff toppling off her back and a large spray of water across the dock. Adrianna yelped, both boys trying to shield her but soon even her hair was damp from the sudden onslaught.

"Zaaaaaaaaap!" Adrianna frowned, wiping down her arms. "I was trying not to get wet, you big doofus!"

The water rippled with Zap's sad moan as tucked her body beneath the waves so only her eyes poked out. The teenagers snickered, even Adrianna, whose mild frustration had quickly evaporated.

"Why didn't you want to get wet, anyway?" Finn asked.

"Because my clothes will get all stiff and itchy."

"Ah."

Erick pulled his legs out of the water and stood, shaking off his prosthetic. Apparently he hadn't taken it off after all. "Want to take a walk?"

Adrianna smiled up at him brightly. "Sure!" She took his hand and Finn braced a hand on her back as Erick helped her up. He watched them walk down the wet wooden planks, perhaps a bit nervously. Erick only had one foot and she was pregnant; if either of them slipped…

His worry was short-lived, however, when they stepped onto the sand and began to stroll hand in hand through the surf.

"So," Cliff hoisted himself out of the water once again, this time careful to keep his distance from Finn's long reach. "Is Uncle Finn excited?"

A small laugh escaped him. "I don't think Uncle Finn has really registered what's going on just yet."

"Man, this kid is going to have the time of her life," Cliff stretched out on the planks with a satisfied smile. Finn didn't fail to notice the chosen pronoun. "Uncle Finn, Uncle Cliff, Aunties Inga and Taryn. We'll be the best co-parents ever!"

Finn rolled his eyes. "Great. I'll call you when the diapers need changing."

Cliff's smile disappeared. "Please don't."

"Taryn, then." Finn watched his friend's shoulders stiffen and he couldn't resist the question. "What's going on with you two? You've been dancing around each other for weeks."

"I can't talk to her."

"Brand is a hard case for sure, but once he finds out you mean no harm-"

"It's not about me, it's Taryn." Cliff threw an arm over his eyes. "Mr. Brand doesn't trust me, but worse than that I'm not so sure he even trusts Taryn. As if she'd do anything wrong on purpose."

"Exactly," Finn agreed. "He'll see soon enough that she's the most trustworthy person in our age group. If anything, all this constant protection is hurting her."

Cliff only sighed in response. Finn honestly hated seeing his friend so morose.

"Why don't you go talk to him?"

"Why don't you go talk to Snotlout?"

Finn winced. "Touche."

Cliff sat up with an eager smirk. "So what's going on there?"

"Nothing."

"Well yeah, I knew that part."

Finn laughed. Cliff wasn't honestly smarter than people gave him credit for.

"I don't know, man. The last relationship I was in didn't end well."

"Helga forgave you, Finn. You don't have to hold back because of that."

Finn swallowed hard. He forgot sometimes that nobody except his parents knew about Raine. "I just… don't want to do anything stupid."

"How is giving Inga a chance stupid?" Cliff asked calmly.

"Giving her a chance isn't stupid, but she is only thirteen. And I'm _not._ "

Cliff bobbed his head in admission. "Alright, that's a valid reason. But still, it could happen."

"It could."

"Do you like her?"

"I've always liked Inga."

Cliff's eyes narrowed. "Like _liked_ Inga, or liked as a friend?"

"Well, it's kinda hard to say since we've known each other since she was born. We used to have play dates when we were toddlers! She's always been there."

"Yeah, but do you like her?"

"She's fun to talk to and hang out with."

"Dude, she's a Jorgenson," Cliff laughed a little impatiently. "Everybody likes hanging out with them. Have you ever spent time with the twins?"

"Vidar is my apprentice, you moron."

"Exactly! But you still haven't answered my question!" Cliff insisted. "Do you _like_ her?"

Finn swallowed, unsure how to answer, as if admitting one way or the other would solidify his answer for good.

"Well, in that case," Cliff rolled his eyes.

"Huh?"

"Well if you can't admit it to me, your bestest bruh after Erick, then you certainly shouldn't say anything to Inga."

"True," Finn admitted, but smirked back. "Says the guy who has yet to talk to Taryn."

"I'm not talking to Taryn until I get Mr. Brand off my back."

"That settles it then." Finn faced Cliff fully. "If you talk to Mr. Brand then _I_ will talk to Inga."

Cliff's brow furrowed in thought. Finn could see the wheels turning behind those steely grey eyes. "Deal."

The boys shook on it and faced the ocean once again. Finn couldn't help but feel a rush of competitiveness, the first he'd felt in weeks. He knew that was probably nothing compared to what Cliff was feeling, who now had to talk to Mr. Brand about Taryn. Despite this, Finn couldn't resist the urge to shove Cliff back into the water before standing and walking back up the beach.

* * *

Astrid watched as Finn walked down the docks toward the white sand. Inga and Taryn brushed themselves off and waited for him to catch up before the trio made their way down the beach. Helga and Evan were currently burying Thorein in the sand, carving his body to look like a mermaid. She stifled a smile when she saw they'd even made a bra out of large seashells.

Flapping wings sent a few gusts of air toward her and she waited patiently for her husband to dismount and join her at the fence. Toothless bounded down the decline to join the teenagers and Zap playing in the sand. Hiccup peered over the edge and took in the scene, laughing and shaking his head at Thorein's new look.

"His mother will be so proud."

Astrid scoffed. "My son better not get any ideas."

It was Hiccup's turn to scoff. "Finn would never." He paused, watching as the boy in question tossed his towel onto Thorein's face. "Did he swim?"

"No."

Hiccup surveyed her pensive expression. "He's getting there."

"No, Hiccup, he's not." Astrid huffed impatiently. "He's never been this inactive."

"It takes weeks for the body to heal from blood loss, Astrid."

"It's been almost a month and a half!"

Hiccup exhaled, hands spread out before him. "You can't rush these things, Astrid. I know you're as eager for things to go back to normal as he is, but if he doesn't have the energy, then we can't force it."

Astrid slumped, dropping her head onto her forearms. "He just looks so miserable."

"Not right now, he doesn't. He looks like he's enjoying the sun with his friends. Probably a little too much if that sunburn is any indication."

With a slight eye roll, Astrid sat up and looked down at the young people once again. Adrianna was walking in the surf with Erick a little ways down the beach. Her expression softened-yes, her children were indeed enjoying their day out in the sun. She really shouldn't worry so much.

She laughed and Hiccup gave her a confused look. "What?"

"Oh, just to think once upon a time I didn't want children." Astrid rolled her eyes. "Now all I do is worry about them."

Hiccup gave her a wan smile and slid a hand around her waist. "That's what good mothers do."

Astrid hummed, leaning into his shoulder. "When do you plan on leaving?"

"Early."

"I assume you've packed everything you need?"

"I'll be back tomorrow night, Astrid. I don't need to take much."

"One can never leave home without an extra pair of underwear."

"Astrid!" Hiccup leaned away with a horrified expression.

She chuckled good-naturedly. "I'm kidding."

"I mean if we're talking about Gobber, sure-"

Astrid elbowed him in the ribs. "Leave the old man alone!"

"What! You started it!"

"Oh shut up, Haddock." Astrid pressed a warm kiss to his lips, cutting off his argument. She lingered, sliding her lips softly over his. When she pulled back, he leaned forward to follow but she'd already turned and walked away. "Come on, handsome, let's get your saddlebags packed."

Hiccup's smirk sent a thrill through her stomach. "Lucky for me, they're already packed."

"Good gracious, what ever shall we do with all this free time?" Astrid mused.

The roguish smile on her husband's face was all the answer she needed.

* * *

Despite his preference for sleeping in, Hiccup always enjoyed early mornings on Berk. After he hauled himself out of bed, strapped his bags to Toothless's saddle and met his chosen companions for the trip, he was wide awake.

The pre-dawn sky was tinted in lavender, a few puffy clouds floating past his humble island. There was a gentle yet chilly wind toward the west that signaled the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Hiccup smiled; they might make the flight in less than three hours if the wind was strong.

Even at this hour, Ruffnut and Tuffnut were already going at it, fists and feet flying. Hiccup easily sidestepped them and strode toward Snotlout, who seemed to be bickering heatedly with Fishlegs.

"-pretty sure your petunias will survive the day!"

"They're not petunias, Snotlout!" Fishlegs scowled, hands on his hips. "They're Saffron Crocuses! They're very expensive flowers and we use their yellow stamen to create the spice Saffron, which-"

"Blah blah blah, I think my ears are starting to bleed." Snotlout waved a meaty hand. "We've got more important things to do."

"Actually Snotlout, Fishlegs' Saffron supply is one of his most valuable trading items." Hiccup replied as he walked passed. "Johann knows some men who will pay a pretty penny for even a small vial."

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "That's great and all, but we'll be back by tonight. I'm pretty sure his little plants will survive the day."

"Do _you_ have seven children, Snotlout?"

Hiccup chortled. He could barely handle two; he wasn't sure how any of his friends kept their homes from burning to the ground.

"I have twin sons. What's your excuse?"

"Alright, is everyone here?" Hiccup asked, cutting off the mild dispute. They had a long journey ahead and needed everyone to focus. He surveyed the group, which included Horst, Phlegma the Fierce, and Spitelout, all with their respective dragons. To Fishlegs, he asked about his children if both he and Ruffnut were going.

"Heather and Svala are teaming up to watch all the children," Fishlegs replied. "I believe Astrid and Adrianna both agreed to help if need be."

A spark of indignation flared in Hiccup's chest, irritated that his daughter planned to do anything other than rest. He stamped out his over-protective feelings and nodded. "Good. Everyone is accounted for? Alright, let's saddle up."

Toothless wiggled in excitement, eager for the long flight. It didn't happen often that they went on long trips and while the chief tried his best to take his friend out for awhile, it just wasn't the same. Sometimes Hiccup wondered if he should break out the old, self-sufficient tail he'd built years ago.

The troupe lifted into the sky, following after the leading pair of Berk. The wind was stronger higher up and Toothless roared happily, pumping his wings harder in the updraft. When Berk was a small dot on the horizon, Hiccup glanced back at it once before leaning forward and snapping Toothless's tail into position, allowing the group to take off at a faster rate.

Once they were on their way, the banter seemed to pick back up. Ruff and Tuff's shenanigans weren't much of a surprise, nor were Hiccup's short quips that made the Jorgensons' eyes roll.

"Your snarky witticism will be the death of me," Snotlout muttered.

"Whoa-ho-ho, using big words!" Tuffnut grinned.

"How many brain cells do you think he used coming up with that one?" Ruffnut asked with an impish grin.

"Well considering he didn't have much to begin with…"

"Hey!" Snotlout shouted over their guffaws. "Just because you're Chief doesn't mean you have the right to be cruel!"

"Aren't you always teaching your sons to be cruel?"

The Jorgenson snorted. "Dustin would sooner watch butterflies' wings dry than succumb to violence. And Vidar idolizes _your_ son, so what does that tell you?"

"That he has good taste?"

"Haddocks are a horrible influence!"

"Finn has taught him a lot of things!"

"As long as he doesn't teach my son how to preen, I don't care."

Hiccup winced as the others laughed. Finn was his mother's son after all. "I never thought that my son would love attention more than my daughter."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruffnut perked out of her saddle, Barf's head swiveling his direction.

"I don't mean that as a bad thing, but don't girls typically love attention? I mean- ahh…"

"If your wife was here, she'd knock you right out of your saddle."

"Yeah, she would."

"Lucky for you, you get to live another day!"

"Yay me!"

"Hey guys, who wants to play 'I spy'?"

"Tuffnut, we're in the middle of the ocean." Fishlegs replied calmly.

"Exactly, it's 'I spy' for professionals." Tuffnut explained, waving a hand dramatically toward the ocean. "You have to spy the correct wave that is being spied. And you have to spy it quick before it disappears. Bonus points for spying the creatures that might be spied around us, not including the dragons, Hiccup, because we all know you're obsessed with dragons and like to cheat."

"What?" Hiccup demanded.

Snotlout sniggered in his saddle before receiving a mouthful of Night Fury tail. Flapping to regain his balance, Hookfang snorted a few smoke rings at Toothless in irritation.

"Another person to be grateful that Astrid isn't here," Hiccup commented. "Better a Night Fury tail than a Nadder spike!"

For the duration of the trip, the gang settled into a routine of small talk and enduring Tuffnut's random series of games that made no sense for their current location. When he tried to start a game of Marco Polo, something he'd picked up from Johann, Hiccup nearly sighed with relief: finally a small dot emerged on the horizon. He pointed it out to the others and, at long last, they began their descent.

Hjart was… there was no other word for it, _gorgeous_. Kiev had mentioned that they had a lot of natural resources but those sorts of statements were usually made by proud chiefs with something to prove.

It was a large island spread out over several miles with a horseshoe shaped lagoon full of crystal clear water. It was perfect for swimming and with all the fish that had to live in the surrounding reef, the village probably had more than enough fish. Near the lagoon was a spacious village full of horse drawn carriages and little houses like Adrianna's old dollhouses. It was as if this island had been set up to be as different as possible from craggy Outcast Island or the busy trading outpost of Brawn. Bright green forests surrounded the village with rolling hills and mountains spreading out beyond. No wonder the Hjartans had been so averse to joining the allied clans. Why share all of these incredible resources?

To think that all it took was a new outlook on dragons.

Hiccup and Toothless led their group over the docks, eyes scanning the people staring up at them with awe and trepidation. Finally, they picked out a single dark-haired individual waving them down from a dock farther down. Ivan's grin was filled with pride at the sight of Hiccup's people still gaping at the landscape around them.

Toothless landed easily and Hiccup shook Ivan's hand once he'd dismounted. "I admit it, Ivan. Your island is stunning."

"You see why we've sequestered ourselves for so long," Ivan chuckled, nodding to the other Berkians. "But no more: I'll give a tour and we're to meet my father and the council in the Town Hall for brunch."

"Brunch?" Tuffnut asked, popping up between the chiefs. Ivan's eyebrows shot up when the blond leaned in even closer. "What is this brunch you speak of?"

"I think that's second breakfast, idiot."

"No, dearest," Fishlegs said to his wife gently. "Brunch is a mixture of breakfast and lunch."

The Hooligans gasped. "You can _do_ that?" Tuffnut exclaimed. He whirled on Hiccup, finger pointing accusingly. "The things we have missed out on because of you! How do you sleep at night-"

"Yes, thank you, Tuffnut, but let's not make Ivan reconsider our new treaty before we've even left the docks." Hiccup nudged his friend back, giving Ivan an apologetic smile.

Ivan merely shrugged. "With eight younger siblings, I'm used to it."

Hiccup chuckled as he followed the chief onto the well-worn dirt path that led into a busy street. Men and women called out their wares as the group walked by, Hiccup keeping a close eye on the ever-so-curious Thorston twins.

A generous array of color covered the buildings that lined the streets. The Hjartans seemed to have more shops than the basic work stations of Berk. Hiccup's blacksmith ears picked out the local forge quick enough, but he was intrigued by the wide number of other stores. He wondered if in a year's time there would be a saddle and riding leathers shop for all their dragon riding needs.

Fishlegs paused as Ruffnut walked to a nearby store, looking in the tall glass window. Phlegma soon joined her with her face nearly pressed into the glass.

Ivan chuckled. "That's our jewelry shop. Miles and his family handle all the crystals we harvest."

Hiccup peered over Fishlegs' shoulder, green eyes widening. Jewels of every color lined the shelves in soft, velvet boxes. Earrings, necklaces, brooches, anything a person would want (and could afford) could be bought here.

Ivan seemed to read his thoughts. "In truth, Miles makes most of his sales in trade. We have some wealthy folk, but most Hjartans don't walk around wearing glittering baubles when there's farm work to be done."

"Farm work?" Horst asked. "I suppose that's past the woods then?"

"Yes, we have good soil in the fields. It's been tilled for generations, though we do have to rotate the plotting every few years." Ivan shrugged as they carried on down the street. "Agriculture isn't our strongest pursuit, but it puts food on the table."

"As if that could be a struggle," Snotlout commented with raised eyebrows. A man walked passed the group carrying a yoke, each pail filled to the brim with a corn and oat mixture. They watched as he walked into a nearby stable, where the sound of filling buckets was soon heard.

"Horses," Hiccup mused. "Have you had them all this time?"

Ivan nodded. "When our ancestors settled here, they'd brought horses from their homeland. We've bred fine work horses through the generations, not to mention the war horses."

Snotlout snorted. "What's a war horse when you have a dragon?"

Hiccup was tempted to agree, but to a culture that had yet to befriend dragons, he figured war horses were just as valuable.

Toothless sniffed the door to the stable, horses nickering from inside the building. The Night Fury hopped back skittishly when a horse reared inside, legs flailing.

"Hey bud, give 'em some space." Hiccup patted his dragon's shoulder, shrugging innocently at the fellow chief. Ivan merely watched the dragon with an awed expression.

"It might take the horses a little time to get used to dragons," He finally mused, waving them forward. "Assuming this works."

Hiccup matched his pace. "Don't worry about that, I'm sure training will go smoothly. Once we get dragons integrated into the village with bonded riders, the animals will learn that they're not prey."

"But what if they _are_ prey?"

Toothless warbled in agreement.

"Hey, not helping!" Hiccup whispered hoarsely. To Ivan, he said, "We don't have too many accidents with the livestock. Usually."

Tuffnut snickered behind him and Hiccup resisted the urge to turn around and see what had the blond so amused. No doubt remembering all the animals he'd gotten accidentally ingested because he'd teased Barf and Belch too much. But Ivan didn't need to know that.

A fork in the road opened up to the town square, similar to Berk's own village center. But instead of being built out of a rock structure, Hjart's Town Hall was a massive oak building, well-worn with age. Carvings of dragons crested the roof edges and two statues were posted on either side of the door, one man and one woman.

"The founders of Hjart, Marcus and Elena Sullivan. My ancestors." Ivan gazed up at the statues with a proud smile before leading the Hooligans up the smooth rock stairs and into the Hall.

The Hooligans surveyed the Town Hall with wide eyes, surprised at the large open space. It could have been about the same size as the Great Hall on Berk, but this building had no stone pillars. Instead the beams that had held up the walls were carved with loops and spirals in intricate detail. Numerous hearths warmed the large room while a group of people set large amounts of food on a table that stretched from one end of the hall to the other.

Hiccup chuckled at Tuffnut's wide-eyed expression, his eyes glued to a glazed ham.

"What's that wooden structure up there?" Fishlegs asked, pointing to the back wall.

"That's the stage where our people perform. You'll find Hjart to be a theatrical and artistic village."

"With Hiccup as our chief, we are immune to theatrics."

"Ha ha," Hiccup rolled his eyes at Spitelout.

"Ah here we are!" A burly man with greying blonde hair eased toward them, clapping Hiccup on the shoulder. "Everyone make it alright?"

Hiccup greeted Kiev with the same enthusiasm. "Yes, we did. Thank you for having us."

"Of course, of course," Kiev waved a hand. He faced Toothless without batting an eye. "Well hello there, beastie."

Toothless huffed indignantly, sitting back on his haunches.

"Don't mind this one, he's being a bit of a princess today. Ow." Hiccup ducked away from his dragon's swiping tail coming at him a second time. The Hjartans stilled when Toothless growled and pushed his nose against Hiccup's chest. "Toothless, get a grip, you're not starving."

The dragon sneered his displeasure and Kiev chuckled, elbowing Ivan in the ribs. "He and I are a lot alike, I think. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day after all!"

"Except I'm sure you don't tear off the roof tiles when you're hungry." Hiccup raised an eyebrow at his dragon, who was pointedly ignoring him. His eyes were on a large tray of smoked salmon being set on the table.

Kiev blinked his surprise and chuckled. He waved everyone toward a large table already prepared for them, surrounded by a group of men. Hjart's councilmen. Greetings were exchanged, the meal blessed, and soon the large troupe had heaping plates of food while villagers began to trickle in. Women seemed to keep their children closer at the sight of a Night Fury in their midst.

While they ate, Kiev and Ivan pointed out various people in the room whom they thought Hiccup and his team could start with dragon training. They thought starting with the heads of security would be a good start, and in turn those men could begin training their footmen.

"What about the women?" Ruffnut asked, clearly resisting the urge to throw her chicken bones over her shoulder as she always did. It was clear that the Hjartans didn't dump food on the floor like the Hooligans did. Suddenly Hiccup wondered if he'd raised an army of slobs, but at least Ruffnut showed a little restraint.

Ivan shook his head firmly. "No, the women will be staying on the ground. Homemaking is where they belong."

Many of the Hooligans frowned but Hiccup kept his face neutral. He'd assumed as much when they signed the treaty.

Phlegma opened her mouth to speak when a jovial tenor interrupted. "Ivy, guess what happened this morning?"

A dark-haired boy of eighteen threw himself onto the bench beside Ivan, nearly upsetting the councilman on his other side. The boy's dark brown eyes glittered with amusement as he leaned in close to what Hiccup assumed was his brother's face.

"I found a mushroom."

Ivan kept his face straight. "Thuggory, I'm in the middle of a meeting."

"O-kay but this wasn't just _any_ mushroom," Thuggory shoved a hand in his pocket and withdrew a small purple mushroom. "Mash this puppy you up and you know what you get?"

"Thug-"

"Purple paint! DUH! And ya know who loves purple paint? Sophie does-"

"I _know_ that my daughter loves purple paint but I am in the middle of a meeting!" Ivan looked like he was straining not to ask his father to make his little brother leave, as that wouldn't be very chiefly. Hiccup was suddenly wondering if he was lucky for not having a little brother.

"Meeting?" Thuggory's dark eyes met Hiccup's and his eyebrows shot up. "Ohhhh hey Chief! Thuggory Sullivan, at your service, should you need me."

"Pleasure," Hiccup remarked, perhaps a bit dryly. As he suspected, the boy didn't notice.

"It is a pleasure to meet me though, isn't it?"

At long last, Kiev heaved a sigh. "Kiddo, why don't you go find Hannah?"

"Because she's busy getting her hair done," A girl's voice replied.

Hiccup looked over his shoulder and saw a curly-haired girl in a green frock, staring down at Thuggory with a disapproving frown. Half her blonde hair was pinned back in a twist at the back of her head while the rest hung loose at her shoulders. And it was only by her glittering dark eyes that he knew who she was.

"Genevieve Sullivan?"

Her eyes met his, a soft smile already on her face. "Chief Haddock, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"You can call me Hiccup," He shook her hand gently, surprised at her firm grip. She had a slight build but she had no trouble grabbing Thuggory by the collar and heaving him off the bench.

"Go away or I'll make you do my sewing."

"He wouldn't mind, then he could talk to Hannah." Kiev winked.

"Oh daddy, stop it," Genevieve sighed, Thuggory smirking wildly.

Hiccup didn't know who this Hannah was, but he suspected that she did not like Thuggory's advances. He supposed he'd find out eventually.

"Join us, Gen," Kiev scooched over.

Thuggory scoffed as she took the seat beside their father. "You let her stay? I'm older _and_ distinctly male."

"You're also late for your shift at the docks." Genevieve replied calmly, pouring herself a cup of orange juice.

Thuggory whispered a curse before sprinting off. Kiev half stood from his seat with a displeased look. He met the Hooligans' amused stares. "I sincerely apologize for my son."

"No, it's alright," Hiccup shook his head. "My son isn't always on time for work either."

"He means his mouth," Ivan muttered.

Snotlout snickered across the table. "Oh don't feel bad; Hiccup's son has a bit of an unbridled tongue as well."

"Thank you, Snotlout."

"I'm just saying when my son comes home from work and utters one foul word, and I hear it's from Finn-"

Hiccup kicked Snotlout under the table with his prosthetic. He flailed backwards with a mumbled growl of pain, his face turning purple.

"Don't curse, Snotlout, there's a lady at the table." Hiccup remarked.

Toothless chortled at the Jorgenson's pain, his dragon laugh echoing through the Hall. The crowd quieted for a moment before conversation picked back up again.

Hiccup turned to Kiev and Ivan. "Are your people that afraid of dragons?"

"Sadly, yes. Particularly the women."

Hiccup looked to Genevieve across from him, but her dark eyes were on the Night Fury sitting behind him. "What do you think, Genevieve?"

Toothless met her gaze and her dark eyes darted to Hiccup. "I'm not sure how I feel about the… dragon training. I find it interesting." Her gaze swept over his people and he could almost see the questions flitting through her mind.

"Well, if you have any questions, feel free to ask." He replied warmly as Ivan stood from his chair. Hiccup and the other Hooligans followed suit. "It was very nice to meet you, Genevieve."

"Likewise, Chief- Uh… Hiccup." Genevieve smiled, turning to give her father a goodbye kiss on the cheek. She left the group a moment later and was swept up in the growing crowd.

"We are taking you to the arena to show you our current… erm, group of dragons." Ivan winced, waving a hand in the air.

"You have some in captivity?" Hiccup asked, following him outside.

Ivan looked a little nervous. "Sadly yes…"

"That's alright, Ivan. Makes the first part a little easier."

"How so?" Kiev asked.

"Well to train a dragon, you need a dragon." Hiccup concluded with an easy smile. "This way we don't have to capture any by force."

* * *

It was official: pregnancy was _not_ fun.

Adrianna had been very excited when she felt the first flutters of movement inside of her. Admittedly, she _still_ got a little jolt every time her baby moved. Her mind couldn't wrap itself around the fact that she was actually carrying another human being.

Unfortunately, that was the only part of it she was enjoying. The morning sickness had been horrific, though that was finally over. She was officially in her second trimester, which meant that clothes that used to fit her comfortably were snug within a week. Her chest was sore and she'd had to get new bras _twice_ already. To say nothing of the round belly she couldn't even try to hide anymore.

A side effect she hadn't anticipated was the stares. Sure, she was expecting them when she _first_ got pregnant. But all of Berk had had plenty of time to get used to it. Now it seemed like many assumed her eyes were poking out of her belly instead of her face. It was annoying, but thankfully not _all_ of the tribe was making her feel awkward. Many women had started offering her advice and thankfully, she appreciated most of it.

She'd helped watch the Ingermann kids for most of the day and as fun as it was, she was starting to regret it. She groaned when she walked into her house, stretching her neck to stretch her muscles. Her back hurt. Her feet hurt. She was _starving_ too. Surely there had to be some food in the house. It would be at least an hour before her mom came home...

Just as she was considering standing on her sore feet to see what was in the cupboard, a soft knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Who is it?"

"Toothless."

Adrianna smirked at the all-too-familiar voice. "So jump through the window."

"They're all shut."

"Guess you're out of luck then."

The door opened to reveal her boyfriend, dimples already on his face. Adrianna felt a flutter in her chest that had nothing to do with her baby.

"Hey," She said brightly. "Finn's not here."

Erick smirked at her. "Darn. That's totally who I came to see."

"He's probably sulking somewhere because he couldn't go to Hjart with dad." she said, biting her lip for a moment. "I wish he could have gone. I feel bad knowing it's a teeny bit my fault what happened."

"A teeny bit?" Erick sat at the coffee table next to her. "It wasn't your fault at all."

Adrianna shrugged.

"Annie," Erick scooted forward slightly. "You weren't walking in the woods in the middle of the night. Those guys jumped you in what should have been a safe area."

"I know, but still. It's been more than a month and he's still not better." She scratched at a line etched into the wooden table. "Mom is worried about him."

"Finn will bounce back. He always does." Erick gently took her hand, massaging her fingers. Tingles shot through her palm and she moaned. Erick laughed. "That feel good?"

"Mhm." Adrianna smiled at him sweetly before she sighed dramatically. "Listen to me. This is so dumb."

"Why's that?"

"I'm tense everywhere. This isn't normal."

"It's perfectly normal," Erick remarked. "Gregory always massaged Magnus's feet because they hurt halfway through the day."

"Yeah, feet. That makes sense. Hands?"

"Those have muscles too."

Adrianna smiled, watching as he released her hand to massage the other. There were brown splotches on the back of his hands from staining leather. He kneaded the tense thumb joint of her palm and she sighed.

"Honestly, this shouldn't feel as good as it does."

Erick merely laughed quietly in response. She looked up at him through her bangs and fought a giggle. There was a small stripe of brown stain on his chin.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You."

"I didn't do anything."

"You didn't need to," Adrianna replied, leaning forward. Ercik's hands stilled as she gently kissed his chin, then ghosted his lips with hers. She smiled at his expression, sliding back into her seat, but Erick followed by leaning forward and kissing her fully.

It was strange how quickly things were changing. A mere few months ago, they'd skittered around each other like a couple of newborn deer, afraid of what might happen if they got too close. It was even more surprising how much bolder Erick had gotten. It seemed he didn't care anymore who was around or where they were. He was willing to kiss her any time.

When he pulled away, his expression was slightly euphoric. "That will never get old." His thumb gently swiped across her cheek.

Despite her pounding heart, Adrianna snorted. "Give me a few months, you might be sick of me."

"I heartily disagree with that statement." Even as he spoke, his fingers threaded through the hair at the nape of her neck and twirled gently, sending shivers down her spine. Did he know just exactly what he was doing to her? "Why would you think that?"

Thankfully his distracting ministrations ceased, his fingers trailing through her hair to her shoulder. Adrianna sighed. "Because I'll be the size of a moose soon. All fat and lumpy."

Erick's face lit up in humor and something she couldn't place. "You won't be fat and _lumpy_."

"Oh? What would you call it then?"

"Curves." Though he seemed to be fighting it, a pink tinge spread across his face and creeped down his collar. It didn't matter how long they'd known each other. Nowadays he always seemed to turn to putty when talking about her. She found it both exciting and endearing.

Adrianna hid her amusement. "Men."

"Huh?"

"I say fat, you say curves. It's all a matter of perspective."

Though he didn't look in the least bit convinced, Erick shrugged. "I suppose."

She squinted at him. "You suppose?"

"What do you want me to say? You're not fat."

"Not yet."

"Annie, being pregnant does not equate to being fat. It's different. And I'd love you either way so why does it matter?"

"It's easy to say these things when it hasn't happened yet," Adrianna said with a small frown.

"Hey, if I was tired of you, don't you think I would have left by now?" Erick asked, eyebrows raised. "Here's a better question: Do you have so little faith in me that I would dump you because of your weight, especially when you're pregnant?"

Adrianna pursed her lips. He was right; she was being a bit ridiculous.

Erick took her hands once more. "I love you. I would be the biggest fool in the world to leave you for something so simple."

"It doesn't feel simple when I don't fit into any of my clothes," Adrianna remarked, perhaps a bit sharply.

"I know; I'm not belittling the way you feel. But I don't see it that way. Your body is going to change for the baby; that's normal." Erick paused, looking down at their hands. "Do you really feel like I'm not going to stay?"

Her heart twisted in her chest. "No, of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Because it seems like you bring it up a lot." Erick's eyes met hers. "Like you expect me to get tired of you sometime in the near future."

Did she? Adrianna thought about everything that had happened recently. The last few weeks had been the most fun she'd had in a long time thanks to Erick. But there had been a lot of hard times as well, and the stress hadn't fully gone away. She was still insecure about a lot of things. She realized that whenever she wasn't feeling well or became emotional about something, she seemed to throw out little barbs of insecurity. That he'd get tired of her and move on when he'd directly promised her that he would do no such thing. He didn't want to do that. He wanted to be with her and help her raise this baby. So why did she keep making comments like… like she truly didn't believe him?

Erick watched her think. Noticed when she made the connection and she looked up at him with wide eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Annie."

"No, it's not." Adrianna pulled her hands away. She should be better than this, better than making him feel like he had to prove himself.

"Hey," Erick cocked his head to meet her eyes again. "Don't pull away. Just talk to me."

Adrianna felt a spark of irritation at herself when her eyes began to burn. Why didn't she trust him? Was it because she was that insecure about herself? Was it because her only other boyfriend had mistreated her so horribly that now she found herself struggling to trust Erick? Waiting for him to leave too?

"You're not even the one who hurt me. You're not the one who left." Tears splashed down her front and she wiped her face. "I-I want to trust you. I don't know why I don't. I thought I did."

"Annie, hey, hey," Erick scooted his chair close enough so their knees touched. He pulled her hands back and made her look at him. "You have every right to feel the way you do. What… what he did…" A spark of rage flashed in his eyes. "Even if… you weren't pregnant and he hadn't done that to you, ditching you the way he did, even forcing you to do the things you didn't want to do, like hanging out with those people. He didn't care about you, Annie. _That's_ why you're afraid. You know what I mean?"

Adrianna nodded. Brandyn had pretended to be her friend, acted like they had something special. But it was clear what he'd been after all along. "And he was going to Dana for what I wouldn't give him."

Erick's eyes flashed again. "Yeah." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. When he seemed to put a leash on his anger, he squeezed her hands. "Annie, I want you to understand something. Love is a choice. Don't you think?"

Adrianna thought for a moment and nodded.

"Because after everything that's happened, it's the people that are still standing next to you who really care. The ones who choose to stay with you when you're hurting. When you need a hug or a friend. Your parents, Finn, Cliff-"

"You." Adrianna smiled despite her tears.

Erick wiped her cheek with his thumb. "Me. There are many others. You're not alone, Annie. We love you and we're not going anywhere." Pressing his brow to hers, he quietly added, "I'm not going anywhere."

Adrianna laughed slightly, feeling the reassurance lift her spirits. She never should have doubted him, but she supposed that's what made relationships work. You had to talk through things to be on the same page, especially the hard things.

There was a momentary pause as Erick leaned back again, furrowing his brow the tiniest bit as if he was deep in thought. He seemed to be trying to make a decision, or trying to figure out how best to say what he was thinking. She wasn't sure which.

"I…" Erick said, letting go of her hands. "I want to show you something."

Adrianna watched, eyebrows slightly raised, as Erick tugged his sleeves back to reveal his lower arms. He stared at them for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face, before lowering them so she could see them clearly.

It felt like her lungs had stopped working for a few seconds. Up and down his inner arms were faint white scars, faded but definitely visible.

A gasp escaped her and she held one of his wrists, shakily running a hand over the scars. Adrianna looked up at him in shock.

Erick's face was blank. "Not many people knew about it. But... it was your parents that helped me get through it. Helped me stop."

Realization dawned on her. "That's why you stayed at my house... why your arms were always wrapped up-"

"I still have a hard time wearing shorter sleeves out of shame," He murmured, teal eyes downcast. "I don't want people to ask questions... and… and I never did tell you about it."

He hadn't. Her mind was suddenly in a whirl-why had he never told her? Maybe… maybe because he didn't trust her? Even after everything she'd trusted him with, he'd never told her...

Adrianna clamped down on the urge to demand why he never told her: She didn't feel anger, just confusion. He saw the unspoken question in her eyes and he seemed to shrink.

"I blamed myself for what happened to Aud. For not stopping her."

Adrianna shook her head. "That wasn't your fault."

"I know that now. My family didn't help me... but we've made amends. My mom has anyway." Erick rubbed his forehead. She could tell by the way he kept his eyes down that it was hard to talk about this. "It was hard to... to stop cutting after so long. I hated myself so much and I felt so unwanted... I just wanted it to end."

Tears spilled down her face once again and she took his hands. Her best friend had been suicidal and she'd never known. He'd never told her.

"Hey, it's okay now," Erick gently brushed her tears away.

"You never told me," Adrianna squeaked. She hated asking, wondering if she was selfish for doing so, but the word slipped out before she could stop it. "Why?"

Erick's expression crumpled and he looked down at his scarred arms. "I was ashamed of myself, Annie. I still am. I…" She thought her heart would burst when his eyes suddenly filled. "I've locked those feelings away so deep that when I realized I'd never told you… I didn't want to open that door again." He rubbed his eyes with his fingers and sighed. His face was splotchy when he rasped, "I never want to feel like that again. So I refused to think about it."

Adrianna pursed her lips and lunged forward to hug him tight. She hated seeing him nearly cry, could hardly stand the thought. Erick buried his face in her neck and took a deep, steadying breath.

They hugged silently for nearly a minute. Finally, Erick said in a quiet voice, "But your mom…" A small laugh escaped him. "Stubborn woman."

"What did she do?" Adrianna pulled back, wiping her face.

"She found me, brought your dad, and they helped me. My m… family was making things worse and so your parents pulled me out of the house. One day at a time, I started turning a corner and then... well, Finn got caught with the gang and…" He twisted his prosthetic leg against the floorboards. "I lost this."

Adrianna stared at him. "Gods it was so much worse than I realized."

Erick shrugged. "It's okay. I'm glad it happened. It brought you back to me, didn't it?"

She felt her heart lift a little. The silver lining. "I suppose it did, yeah."

Erick smiled wanly and took her hands once again. "This is why I told you. Because when the bad stuff happens, we see who really loves us in the end. Who will drop everything to take care of you. Those are the people you can trust the most." He took a deep breath and sighed. "So, Annie, that is my deepest, darkest secret. I want you to know because I love you, and I trust you."

"I'm sorry for doubting you," Adrianna whispered.

Erick tilted her chin up. "I forgive you."

When he kissed her this time it was soft, yet firm. It almost felt different than it usually did. It wasn't mere passion. It felt deeper, maybe because at long last, there were no walls drawn between them.

Pressing closer, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Erick rested his hands on her waist, moaning as she threaded her fingers through his hair-

The door opened and Adrianna jerked back, their lips separating with a loud pop in the otherwise quiet room. Finn paused in the doorway, a single eyebrow rising as Erick tried to disentangle himself from her arms.

Her brother's blue eyes darted between them nearly three times and Adrianna lifted her chin. Daring him to say any of the probable dirty comments running through his head. Erick not so subtly wiped his lips on his sleeve.

Instead Finn just shrugged and walked farther into the house, swinging the door shut as he went.

The house was significantly quiet as Finn ambled through the kitchen, perusing the shelves for Thor knew what. Adrianna glanced at Erick, who looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and die somewhere. Perhaps not as bold as she originally thought.

"Oh carry on, don't mind me."

Adrianna grabbed a wooden salt shaker and launched it at her brother. He ducked and it crashed against the wash bin, salt scattering across the counter top. "Shut up, Finn."

Finn eased back to a standing position with a wince. "You two make it so awkward."

"What do you want us to do?" Adrianna frowned, face heating again. Erick still looked a bit mortified, probably because he'd still been moaning when the door opened.

"I'm not sure that I want to know," Finn sang, pouring himself a drink. "Because your faces are both quite red and splotchy."

"She was crying," Erick replied flatly.

"You certainly weren't."

"Gah _Finn_." Erick growled, launching the pepper shaker at him this time.

Finn yelped when the shaker smacked him in the back. He hissed in pain, causing them both to wince in apology as he turned back around. "Anyway, why did you make her cry?"

"We were only talking about things." Adrianna sighed. "It's fine. Really." She insisted when Finn raised his eyebrows and made a face.

"Hmph. You better hope so," Finn replied. "I was getting ready to body slam Erick into next Thursday."

Erick snorted. "You'd be putting yourself right back into bed for three weeks."

"Which is exactly why I restrained myself."

Adrianna rolled her eyes at Erick, fighting a smile. To Finn, she asked, "What's for dinner?"

"Oh let's see…" Finn pulled open the icebox. "We've got… eggs. Lamb. Eggs. Bacon. Bread on the counter. Eggs. A little bit of dried fish… eugh, that looks about six weeks old. And let's see- oh! There's eggs!"

"Make some omelets, Finnegan."

Finn closed the ice box with an audible snap. "I am a wounded man."

"And I'm pregnant."

"Erick, make some omelets."

"You're not the chief yet," Erick replied smoothly.

"I can still body slam you into next Thursday, and bed rest will be worth it."

Erick rolled his eyes and stood. "Omelets. I can do better than omelets."

Finn eagerly took his vacated seat. "Pray tell, what is better than omelets?"

"Yes, pray tell, what _is_ better than omelets?" Adrianna asked, also intrigued.

Her boyfriend merely gave her a warm smile before pulling out a pan and various ingredients. "What time is your mom coming home?"

"Half hour?"

"Perfect."

Within minutes the house smelled of bacon. Finn asked why Erick had a bowl of water simmering, but he didn't reply.

"Do you have any lemons?"

Finn blinked slowly. "Lemons and bacon? With eggs?"

"In the basket behind you," Adrianna replied, shooting her brother a look.

They watched in fascination as Erick dropped three eggs yolks into a bowl with some lemon juice and what looked like a ton of softened butter. Then, one at a time he dropped four egg yolks into the simmering water. Ignoring Finn's confused splutters about barbaric cooking skills, Erick searched around for a whisk.

Adrianna didn't know what he was doing. He whisked the egg yolks, lemon juice and butter at a rapid pace, stopping only to taste test and add salt and pepper.

"Finn, runny eggs or no?"

"But you already cooked them…"

Erick smirked while he whisked. "Did I?"

Finn frowned. "Runny."

"Annie does not like runny." Erick concluded, making her smile. "What does Mama Astrid like?"

"Runny." Both kids replied at once.

Erick nodded, setting aside his bowl of yellow sauce. Adrianna peered into the bowl curiously while Finn peeked over her shoulder with crinkled brows.

"You can taste it if you want."

"I don't want to spoil the surprise," Adrianna replied.

Finn swiped his finger into the dip, staring at it unsurely. Finally he gave it a tentative taste. "Hm. It's like… lemony butter. Or buttery lemon."

Erick snorted. The twins looked up a moment later to see Erick setting egg yolks onto toasted, buttered pieces of bread and bacon. How he'd managed to get the egg yolks out of the hot water without breaking or dropping them, and toast and butter bread without their notice, she couldn't tell. Erick's multitasking skills had far surpassed her own apparently.

Her boyfriend grabbed the bowl of sauce and poured a generous spoonful onto each plate. He wiped away a few spare drips before stepping back with a smile. "There you have it."

Adrianna wasn't sure what it was, but it looked really good.

Finn's voice broke into her thoughts. "What is it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Bacon and eggs and toast."

"Yeah, but it's so… fancy."

Erick smirked. "Eat up, barbarian."

"That's Finnegan to you."

Right on cue, the front door opened and Astrid stopped on the threshold. "Something smells good."

"Erick made dinner!" Adrianna accepted a fork from Erick and sat down at the table.

"Wait!" Erick ushered Astrid into the first seat, surprisingly fast on one and a half legs. He set a plate in front of her and Finn before sitting next to Adrianna with his own plate. "Okay. Dig in."

"Erick's nervous," Finn murmured. "I think he poisoned it."

"Oh seriously." Adrianna rolled her eyes.

Erick cut into his food and took a bite with a shrug. "No poison." His face screwed up in thought. "Needs more salt." He hopped out of his chair to retrieve the condiments. "Oh! And if anyone wants cayenne pepper on theirs, my dad used to like his eggs benedict with a little kick."

"Eggs benedict?" Adrianna asked, her first bite hovering on her fork in front of her face.

Erick took a pinch of salt and threw it over his shoulder. "For luck." He dashed some on Adrianna's plate. "For my love."

"Oh geez." Finn muttered before finally taking a bite.

Erick seemed to watch the Haddocks with a bit of nervousness. Adrianna took a bite and was pleasantly surprised. It was a different way to make eggs and bacon and toast, but a strangely delicious way!

"Babe, this is really good!"

Erick sighed a bit in relief. "Yeah?"

"It's very good, Erick." Astrid agreed. Finn didn't reply, since he was digging in wholeheartedly. "What is eggs benedict exactly?"

Erick shrugged. "My family always made them. It's actually our Snoggletog breakfast tradition-"

"And thus your birthday breakfast tradition!" Adrianna cheered. She paused, realizing: "How come I've never seen it before?"

He rolled his eyes, chewing quickly before replying, "My mom is quite protective of it. Something about one of the few family traditions we have left."

"And _we_ just watched you do it!" Finn shrugged his eyebrows up and down. "Now I've got your recipe."

Erick smirked. "We'll see about that."

"Like it's hard. You did that in like twenty minutes!"

Adrianna saw the challenge in Erick's eyes and realized he'd chosen this particular meal on purpose. He might have finally found something that Finn couldn't beat him at.

"Oh it's on." Finn smirked.

"One day, boys, we'll have a cook-off. Then we can crown one of you the winner." Astrid gave them a conspirator's smile. "If only your father was here to try it."

"My only regret." Erick frowned.

"No worries, you can make it for us in our Haddock Snoggletog mornings." Finn winked, grabbing plates and shuffling into the kitchen.

Erick beamed. Finn had actually said a positive thing about their future.

"Hear anything from dad?" Adrianna asked. "He's supposed to come home tonight isn't he?"

"Yes, but probably not til dark." Astrid replied, eyes on Finn. Adrianna looked over her shoulder to watch her brother as well. He seemed to be moving a little better, but she could hear his feet dragging.

"Good job, Erick." Adrianna kissed his cheek. "But I'm afraid I want ice cream."

"Oh, Finn wants ice cream too!"

Erick let out a small laugh. "I'll go get milady ice cream but what makes you think I'll get _you_ ice cream?"

Something silver flashed in the air and Erick caught it in his hand. A silver coin shimmered in his palm. Finn brandished the dirty whisk toward the door, spattering his shirt with egg remains. "Off you get."

"What am I, your slave?" Erick asked.

Finn's face fell and he turned away. Adrianna fought to keep her expression neutral, but Erick, her smart, intuitive boyfriend, instantly saw his error. The problem was he didn't understand why.

He looked between the tense Haddocks with a single glance. "Um-"

"It's okay," Adrianna said quietly, standing and ushering him to the door. "Two gigantic ice creams will do, okay?" Erick looked over her head at Finn, clearly wishing he could take back his words. Adrianna pressed another coin into his hand. "Get him hot fudge and walnuts and he'll be okay."

Erick looked unsure still, but he left the house. She watched him and Charger take off toward the Great Hall where anybody could get ice cream from the cook. When she closed the door, she saw Astrid already in the kitchen at Finn's side.

"He didn't mean it, Finn."

"No, I know that." He replied softly. "It just took me by surprise is all."

Adrianna handed him a few dirty cups to wash. "Don't you think you should tell him? He wouldn't tell anybody."

Finn pursed his lips. "How do I know that?"

Indignation rose in her chest. "Why would he tell anybody?"

"Anna, he promised not to tell anyone about your pregnancy."

"That's different, and that's not something I should have hidden."

"You know what I'm saying though," Finn faced her. "It's not that I don't want to trust him, but that's not… I don't want a lot of people knowing about it. I'd prefer that part of my life to just fade into the background. Surely you understand that."

Adrianna sighed. She did understand what he meant. But just like she wished she could forget about Brandyn altogether, she had very real proof in her belly of the things she'd endured. So Finn couldn't just ignore the past.

Then again, Erick hadn't told her about his suicidal tendencies until _tonight_ for the same reason Finn hadn't ever told Erick about his enslavement. She supposed it would take some more time, but Finn would trust Erick with that information when he was good and ready.

Astrid patted his shoulder. "We understand, Finn, and it's your decision to make. But I think Erick is trustworthy. You might find it a bit freeing to share it with at least one of your best friends."

Finn sighed. "Maybe."

Astrid made to sit down in the living room when suddenly a sonic scream filled the air outside. "There's your dad!"

With a big grin, Adrianna hopped out of her seat and followed her mom onto the porch. They waited for Hiccup and Toothless, smiling into the darkness. Except the sonic sound had faded into the distance and they hadn't yet landed.

Adrianna's smile slipped off her face. "Mom… where...?"

Finn stepped onto the porch behind them. "They haven't landed yet?"

Astrid stepped into the grass, looking out toward the sea with a pinched brow. After nearly a minute and still no sign of them, she turned back inside. "Come on."

"But…" Adrianna stared out at the ocean. "If he was home… why would he leave again?"

"Maybe he left something on Hjart?" Finn sounded unconvinced of his own thought.

Astrid merely ushered them back inside and closed the door against the darkness, leaving them wondering just where the Chief of Berk might have gone to at such a late hour.


	24. Nemesis

It had been a long day when Hiccup and Toothless led their people through the two stone warriors that guarded the entrance to Berk. The sky was dark and cloudless, stars twinkling overhead as the Chief bid his council goodnight and Toothless swept toward the Haddocks home past the bridge.

The journey had been a long one after an early morning and an entire day of dragon training. The integration of dragons into Hjart needed a lot of structure, since no Hjartans had ever witnessed dragon training in person. Ivan and Kiev had asked many, many questions throughout the day, both men seemingly determined to retain as much information as they could.

Nearly a dozen dragons were in pens, which Hiccup had quickly calmed and befriended. The Hjartans who'd come to watch the spectacle ooh'd and ahh'd so much that Hiccup almost felt like he was working in a circus rather than working. Luckily he'd successfully paired the dragons off with various councilmen. While Kiev had yet to find his own dragon, Ivan had become intrigued with a deep blue Deadly Nadder. Overall, things were off to a great start.

After a late dinner in the Town Hall, Hiccup had gathered his people for the long trek home, promising Ivan that they would return within the next week to check their progress. Their only homework so far was bonding: each rider needed to become well acquainted with his dragon and build trust between them. The dragons would remain in the arena, which sadly still had a chained dome overhead. Hiccup insisted however that they needed free range of the arena itself. He would tackle integration into daily home life on another day.

Kiev had been grinning from ear to ear all day, much like his son Thuggory. Genevieve had kept to the stands, as did the few other women present, but the two Sullivan teenagers had kept up a steady stream of banter that only reminded him of home. His heart gave a twinge at the thought of Finn and Adrianna. Hiccup wondered if his kids hadn't been dealt such a low hand throughout their lives if they might be as easygoing and joyful as the Sullivans.

Deep in his thoughts as he was, Hiccup was nearly thrown from the saddle when Toothless swept around a few large pine trees. He mumbled an apology and focused on the last few minutes of the flight as the house came into view.

While Adrianna and Finn were both doing better than they had in the last few weeks, it bothered him when he saw how different his kids' lives were compared to the Sullivan's. On more than one occasion he'd seen the sad, downcast look in Adrianna's eyes when she thought nobody was looking. It bothered him that Finn exuded confidence most of the time but on occasion he'd tense, his blue eyes freezing on a fixed point as if something had triggered horrible memories that he never should have experienced.

Hiccup's heart gave a jolt. He yanked on Toothless's rigging, causing his friend to yelp in surprise. Toothless stopped in mid-air, peering up a him in confusion. "Rawr?"

Hiccup stared at his home from their place in the sky. Flame from the hearth glowed through the windows, shadows darting across the front yard. He knew his wife and children were inside, and possibly Erick or Cliff. He wondered if they were having a good evening together or if Finn was again passed out on the couch with exhaustion due to his wound, or if Adrianna's head was again in a bucket from her pregnancy.

He despised the thought, but his children didn't deserve to have all this worry and strain on their bodies. They deserved to be happy, to goof off and not have a care in the world, like Kiev's children. Was it because they were _his_ children that they'd been dealt such a bad hand? They were only seventeen; he'd been on many harrowing, crazy adventures by the time he was seventeen. But never had he experienced anything quite as painful as they had.

His gaze slid to the open ocean. There once was a time when he'd fought for what he wanted. Before he became a father, the only things that mattered to him were Toothless, Astrid and freeing dragons. He'd never held Astrid back, but he always made sure she was safe. She and all their friends, even though he'd led them into many stupid situations. With dragons, he'd have flown to the ends of the Archipelago to even save _one_.

So why had he sat by the last few months and let Brandyn roam free?

"Rawr?" Toothless warbled again, following his gaze.

He'd kept telling himself that Brandyn wasn't worth it. That his daughter needed him more. Finn had been chomping at the bit to track Brandyn down, to bring him to justice for daring to hurt his sister... and Hiccup had held him back. Finn's injury had pushed Brandyn out of his mind even further, and since he'd been so occupied with Hjart…

Hiccup shook his head, his chest burning with anger. Brandyn was probably comfortable in his mother's house, thinking he'd escaped and gotten away with his crimes, probably congratulating himself on messing with the Chief of Berk and living to tell the tale.

Well, Hiccup resolved, vengeance had no measure of time and he had the cover of darkness on his side. Perhaps it was time to remind the Archipelago just what happened when you messed with the Dragon Conqueror and the Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself.

"Toothless," Hiccup leaned forward and locked eyes with his best friend. "What do you say we go hunting, bud?"

Toothless heard that sharp edge in his voice and somehow understood, as if he could read his mind. His lip curled in a growl as he swiveled toward the ocean, green eyes narrowed to slits. Hiccup snapped the tail fin into position and together they dropped, flattening themselves against the cold, open air. A sonic scream filled the air and they blasted across the waves toward Outcast Island.

* * *

Raucous laughter echoed through the Brand house. Clyde and Joan Brand smiled at their two children laughing comically over a game Alton had brought back from some faraway place. The auburn-haired boy had his hands over his head, fingers spread wide for effect in his storytelling.

"I kid you not, Johann's pants got caught on the creature's horns! They started hauling the animal's body away and taking him with it! If I hadn't chased them down and gestured at them wildly, they probably wouldn't have noticed they'd inadvertently kidnapped a Viking trader."

"Better is the fact they didn't speak Norse," Clyde chuckles.

"Hence the wild gesticulating."

Taryn wiped her face, finally catching her breath. "Wow, that is hilarious."

"What animal was it, son?" Clyde asked.

"Some kind of deer, but three times bigger." Alton spread his arms, despite his unsure expression, as if he knew his arms would not do the creature justice. "It was massive."

"How were they able to move a dead animal so huge and catch a man on it's antlers?" Taryn asked.

"They call it taxidermy," Alton replied, taking his turn on the game. "You kill an animal and pay somebody to clean and stuff it's body, or it's head or something, so you can mount it in your house. Or the Great Hall."

Their mother tsked her tongue. "It sounds barbaric. Killing an animal just to keep it stuffed on a wall."

"Well you can still use the meat, mom."

"Still!" The woman tsked again, standing from her chair. "I'm going to prepare for bed. You two should as well."

"Aw but mom-" Alton whined.

"Listen to your mother, son." Their father stood as well and followed her up the stairs, their voices quiet in the upstairs.

Alton flopped back onto the floor. "Don't they understand that I had the stars for a roof for six months? That I didn't exactly have a bedtime, it just kind of happened when exhaustion took over?"

Taryn snorted and poked him in the ribs. "That explains the bags under your eyes."

"Pft, you get used to the late nights." Alton sat up on his elbows, suddenly grinning. He lowered his voice, glancing toward the stairs. "So, you and Cliff huh?"

Her stomach tied in knots and her eyes darted to the upstairs. "Alton, be quiet!"

"Oh come on, they're not listening."

Indeed, she could hear her parents laughing upstairs, their mom still ranting about poor stuffed animals resting on people's walls.

"Tell me what's going on!" Alton tried again.

She sighed heavily. "Dad chased him away, so nothing. He hasn't spoken to me since."

Alton frowned. "You haven't really given him a chance to."

"Give him a chance?" Taryn hissed. "I'd rather not be yelled at for my _disappointing behavior_ when I haven't done anything wrong."

"That's not your fault, Tare." Alton said quietly. "Mom and dad are way too overprotective. I didn't realize how bad it was until I was out of the house, until Johann was in charge of me. I admit it was a bit too much freedom." He paused, thinking. "Mom and dad have done a good job teaching us how to take care of ourselves. But that doesn't mean they're doing us any favors by smothering us. Especially you."

"You're a boy, there are more opportunities for you." Taryn grumbled.

"Not true," Alton countered. "You should have seen the things young women do overseas."

"I don't live there, Alton, I live here." She replied sharply. "I love that you've gotten to go and have adventures and that you're allowed to leave the house whenever you want. But reminding me how much I _can't_ does not help me stay content with what I have."

"You don't _need_ to be content, Taryn!" Alton hissed, trying to keep his arguing quiet. "You're allowed to want things! You're allowed to want a boyfriend like every other girl!"

Taryn looked away. "Wanting and having are two different things."

"Do you want mom and dad to find a husband for you?"

Taryn glared at him.

"Exactly. It's not going to change until you fight for it."

"I don't want to fight for anything," Taryn replied.

"So you're content to live a quiet, demure life without wanting anything? You know that's not true."

"Alton, _please_." Taryn huffed, rubbing her eyes in irritation.

The house was quiet for a few minutes before he spoke again. "Do you know why I begged them to let me go with Johann?"

Taryn sighed. "No. It was all so sudden."

"Because I was so tired of the same routine every single day." Alton looked out the window, as if he could see the faraway lands from here. "I was tired of the tucked in shirts and following mom and dad everywhere I went. I wanted an open sky and fresh air, where I could just breathe." He looked at her. "I wanted freedom. You may not want to up and leave so drastically, but I know you're not happy."

Taryn's heart heaved. "I know, I'm not. But I'm not brave like you. To leave or to tell them how I feel."

"Maybe that's something you need to work on. You shouldn't be afraid to talk to them." Alton chewed his lip thoughtfully. "Cliff would be good for you, ya know. He'd show you just how much opportunity a beautiful girl like you has." Alton put the lid on the game and stood, putting it in the nearby closet.

Taryn felt her throat constrict. She knew he was right. But nothing hurt more than hearing her father say that she'd disappointed him. She didn't know what would be more painful-going against her parents wishes or watching them plan out her life for her and going right along with it.

"I'm going to bed." She replied promptly and stood, walking up the stairs without a further goodnight. She could feel her brother's eyes on her back as she disappeared into her room.

Alton couldn't understand. He'd tasted freedom and was allowed to make a man's decisions now. She didn't have that kind of luxury and wouldn't argue with him about it.

Taryn changed into a warm pair of pajamas and took her hair out of its bun. She brushed her hair and slowly began braiding it back, her mind still reeling with unspoken thoughts. She heard herself muttering and stopped, sighing long and hard. She dropped her hands into her lap.

She stared at the long, half-braided auburn tresses. For so long she'd worn her hair back in some sort of style; she didn't realize how tired of it she was until now.

Tentatively, she pushed her fingers into her hair and brushed it out, letting it frame her face. If she got her hair cut and added some layers, she might have a similar style to Adrianna's. Or if she parted her hair more to the left and swept her hair over her shoulder, she might have similar hair to Inga. Or if she let it hang wild and free, never brushed or styled at all, maybe she'd look like Helga. She snorted, dragging her hair back from her face.

She was a little surprised at how her eyes didn't look quite so big without her hair pulled back against her scalp. Instead, it seemed to bring out the flecks of gold in her eyes, and the added volume toned down her sharp cheekbones. Even the pinkish hue of her lips was softened. Staring in the mirror, she saw someone different than usual. Relaxed, moderate, but… still pretty.

Glancing down at the creams and brushes on her small bureau, she frowned. She'd always been told she was lovely; she hadn't been vain enough to listen. She'd never enjoyed the makeup and the tight buns, what they represented. For some reason it boggled her mind: if she wasn't meant to draw attention to herself, why must she go to so much trouble on her appearance? It seemed all the attention she put on not drawing attention to herself made her look older than she was, which in turn brought attention to herself.

Resolutely, Taryn shoved all of her face creams and makeup into the drawers. It sent a clatter of sound throughout the otherwise quiet house, but she didn't care. Let them come and ask. Maybe she'd be bold and finally tell them what her brother and closest friends had been telling her for so long, what she was finally beginning to understand.

But no one came. Her parents must have finally gone to bed, and Alton occupying himself with something downstairs or retiring to his own room as well.

Taryn lay down on her bed, hair fanned around her head like a halo. Her mind was still buzzing so it would be awhile before sleep claimed her. She didn't want to read or do a puzzle; she didn't feel like seeking out her brother again for the night. She chewed her lip in thought, running her fingers through her hair.

An idea popped into her mind and she nearly gasped out loud at the audacity of it. Her heart thumped in her chest when she considered the implications of such a thing. She didn't have the guts to do anything so rash and daring and- and...

And adventurous. A slow smile spread across her face. Alton would be beside himself if he knew what she was thinking. But he was right in the end. She had to start doing something with her life; she had to allow herself to want things and not feel bad about it. She needed to take a chance and do something unequivocally spontaneous.

As quietly as possible, Taryn crept out of bed and pulled out a pair of warm pants and a sweater. Changing clothes quickly and pulling on her most comfortable pair of boots, she blew out the candle and crept to her window. She listened for any sounds from the rest of the house, but only silence greeted her.

Lifting the window and peering down at the ground below, she gulped. Her heart pounded in her chest. Was she seriously doing this? What if she fell? What if one of the guards walking the streets or the neighbors saw? What would they think of the Brand's good daughter, creeping out late at night-

Taryn huffed at herself. _This_ was exactly her problem.

"Have an adventure, Taryn, come on," She whispered to herself, swinging a leg out the window. "You can do this…" She swung both legs out, standing on a wooden beam jutted out below her window. She held on tight and slowly, very carefully, she crept down the side of the house.

Taryn dropped to the ground a minute later and crouched in the dirt, listening for any sound of her family. She waited nearly two minutes before a slow grin spread across her face. Call it rebellion or call it adventure, Taryn was out of the house outside of curfew with only one destination in mind. She darted into the shadows and didn't look back.

* * *

A tentative knock sounded at the door and Cliff uncoiled himself from the couch. He'd been half asleep as he waited for Erick to come home, but at this point he figured his bestest bro would come home super late. Again. He walked to the door, curious who might be calling on him at such an hour, scolding Erick in his mind that he really shouldn't keep Adrianna up so late-

He swung the door open and blinked in surprise. Taryn Brand was standing in the doorway, auburn hair loose and brown eyes glittering. He blinked again, a bit harder this time…

"Someone told me that a certain Mr. Smedley likes adventure," Taryn said with a mysterious sort of smile.

Holy gods, that smile. Cliff blinked again, his heart hammering in his chest. Well if this wasn't one of the weirdest, most wonderful dreams he'd ever had-

"Cliff?" Taryn asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

He shook out of his thoughts and looked over her shoulder. No parents, no guards…

Taryn's smile disappeared and she took a step back. "I… Um… Nevermind-"

"No wait!" Cliff reached out and pinched her sleeve, pulling her inside before she could run away. "Sorry, I'm just… confused, I guess." He breathed a laugh as he shut the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" Taryn paused, fiddling with her sleeves that covered most of her hands. Only her fingertips showed at the ends and he was surprised her parents allowed her to own such a baggy item of clothing. "I-I was bored and…" A shrug and her eyes darted back to the door.

Cliff couldn't help the concern rising up. "Taryn, are you okay?"

She looked up at him in surprise. "Yes! Yes, I'm fine."

He was so confused. "Are you sure? Because you're kind of acting funny."

Taryn sighed, running a hand through her long, long hair. She turned and paced through his living room. "I'm sorry, I really shouldn't be here."

Cliff didn't mind. He didn't mind at all that she was in his little house and it was just the two of them. But that was dangerous thinking. Not that he wanted anything at all, it was just scary that he hadn't talked to her in a few weeks now because of her dad and now she was _here_ in _his house_. And she'd come _alone_.

"Should I leave?" Taryn asked, breaking the silence.

Cliff started. "No. I mean…" He shook his head to clear it, his wild mane of curls shaking. "No. You're sure you're okay?"

"Yes." Taryn nodded.

"So… what brings you to my doorstep at such a late hour?" Cliff asked.

"I need an adventure."

Cliff's eyebrows shot up and he laughed. "Right now?"

"Well you are the adventure guru." Taryn crossed her arms.

"Yes but… now?" His laugh died in his throat. "Not that I'm against adventures but… what about your dad? You know he'll kill me if he finds you missing. Unless by the gods' good graces he gave your blessing to hang out with me and leave the house at night all in one go?"

Taryn winced. "Yeah… not exactly."

"You do know what happened the last time teenagers in this village started sneaking around?"

"I'm not asking you to help me tear apart the Great Hall, Cliff."

"I know, I'm just saying." He paused. He truly wanted to hang out with Taryn but he didn't want to make things worse. "Don't you think we should…"

"What?" That fearful look was back in her eyes. Like she was ready to pin her hair back and run back to her house full of rules and regulations.

Cliff wet his lips. "I would love to have an adventure with you. But… I don't want you to get into trouble."

"If I'm getting in trouble for you walking me home, then when am I ever going to do anything in my life other than what they demand?" Taryn asked boldly. There was a passion in her eyes he'd never seen before as she said, "I've done everything they have ever asked and asked for nothing back. I'm not doing this out of rebellion. I'm doing this because I want to have fun for once. I want to be reckless and stop questioning everything around me. I want to _do_ something. And…" She faltered, swallowing hard but she took a small step closer to him. "And the only one who has ever gone out of their way to help me do that is you, Cliff."

His heart leapt with something that might have been joy, and he wasn't even sure why. It could have been multiple things, the fact that she attributed her new bravery to his kindness or because she was looking at him with those dark brown eyes like _that_.

Cliff exhaled another laugh, daring a look down at his feet. Calming his racing heart with a deep breath, he met her gaze again. "Let's have an adventure, Miss Brand."

Taryn grinned up at him and that was all the answer he needed before he was pulling on his boots and a jacket. He quickly doused the candles and wondered if he should leave a note for Erick. But nah, his bro had ditched him more than enough times for his girl. Time to return the favor!

He paused at the thought, sparing a short glance at Taryn, who was watching him with anticipation. He cleared his throat and spread his hands in the darkened room. "Where are we going?"

Taryn shrugged. "A walk in the woods?"

"A walk in the woods, she says." Cliff eased the door open and escorted her outside, glancing up and down the street for guards. No footsteps were heard and no torchlight to be seen.

Cliff led the way around the back of the little house and together they crept through the dark streets. Eventually they came upon a well-worn path that led through the woods toward the cove where the Chief had found Toothless all those years ago. It was a good distance away from the village and would give them more than enough time to talk.

Taryn kept pace with him, which surprised him since he was much taller than her. But he supposed she'd been taught to keep a brisk pace. He frowned at the thought and winced when she looked up at the exact same time.

"What's wrong?"

Cliff gave her a smile. "Nothing."

Taryn stopped. "Cliff… don't put up a face. If you're really uncomfortable with this-"

"Taryn," Cliff faced her. "Don't worry about me."

"I just don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you to do this. If you don't want to get in trouble and I'm trying to make you do something you don't want to-I don't know, you're the guy so you should be making the decision here-"

She was rambling now and Cliff waved his hands in front of her. "Wait wait wait. What?"

Taryn stopped talking, eyebrows high. "What?"

Cliff gave her an incredulous look. "There is no submission to be had here." She bit her lip and looked away. Cliff sighed and gentled his approach. "Taryn. You're my friend. You don't answer to me. I'm out here because I want to be. That doesn't mean I'm not a little bit confused and that I'm not trying to figure this out."

"Figure what out?"

"Figure _you_ out," Cliff stressed. "You're the most… interesting girl I've ever known." She looked up at him in surprise, like she didn't believe him. "It's like you have all these hidden layers under that outer shell they've forced you to wear. You're like an onion!"

Taryn barked an incredulous laugh. "Oh, very flattering, Cliff."

Cliff rolled his eyes. "I'm not good with words like Erick, just bear with me."

She nodded silently, her eyes downcast.

He wondered if he should say it. His heart began pounding in his chest and he tried to think around it, but now that was all that was filling his mind. Cliff took a deep breath and said it: "I like you, Taryn."

Her dark eyes darted to his face, and though she said nothing at first, her mouth curled into a soft, shy smile. He took that as an opportunity to keep talking.

"I know I'm not what your dad expects for you. But the way we just have fun together, it just feels… like there's something there." Gods, what was he even saying? Erick would be running a hand down his face right about now. A blush crept up his neck and he was glad it was dark outside. "The only thing I'm afraid of is if your dad never gave me a chance to prove myself. I'm not a proper, traditional guy; I'm loud and obnoxious and a hot mess most days." Taryn laughed with him and he took that as an encouragement.

"But I want to try. It's hard to see you carry yourself like you can't breathe, like you're coiled so tightly you're about to snap. That can change with time. I've seen the way you loosen up and know that's not the kind of life you want. But that doesn't mean that I can't change too."

Taryn shook her head. "You shouldn't have to change for me."

"I can stand a little change if it means I get a shot at dating a pretty girl like you." Cliff replied. He blinked, wondering where that dash of charm had come from. Taryn's shy smile was creating some serious butterflies in his stomach.

Taryn bit her lip, looking up at him for a quiet minute. "I think I like you too, Cliff. I don't know what I'm looking for right now but…" Her lip wobbled and her breath caught. She looked away hastily.

Cliff's heart crushed. He reached forward and took her hand without thinking. "I'm sorry-"

"No, no, it's not you," Taryn swallowed hard, fighting her sudden emotion. She didn't pull her hand out of his. She swallowed again, her eyes bright when they met his again. "You make me happy, like… like Curt used to." Her voice softened like she was trying so hard not to cry. "He always goofed around and made us laugh. And after he died…" Tears splashed down her face and she hastily wiped them away. "Our family just stopped having fun. And I didn't realize how much I missed it until you came along." She sniffed, wiping her face again. "You made me want to have fun again. And my parents won't let me spend time with the one person who reminds me of him."

"Oh hey, come here," Cliff pulled her closer until she was tucked into his chest. She sniffed and cried while he wrapped her up in his arms. He just couldn't stand seeing her cry like this, over something that was so very important and one of the reasons she was the person she was today. He wondered if she'd ever talked to anyone about it before. He wondered if all she'd needed was someone to listen and give her a hug.

"I don't expect you to be Curt," Taryn said a few minutes later from the folds of his jacket.

"I know," He murmured softly into her hair. "And if it's any consolation, your parents do love you. It makes sense why they started holding on tighter."

Taryn nodded and stood up straighter, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "I know." She huffed a laugh and smiled up at him. "This wasn't exactly the adventure I had in mind."

Cliff chuckled, but replied: "Sometimes though, you have to talk through the past before you have the adventure."

Taryn took his hand. "Thank you."

He nodded, already seeing how clear her eyes were. His resolve hardened. "I'm going to talk to your dad."

Her eyes widened. "When?"

"Tomorrow."

"B-but you won't-"

"I won't tell him we were here, I'd prefer him to say yes when I ask him." Cliff took her other hand and squeezed them gently. "I'm going to do it right. Show him that I'm more than an ingrate."

Taryn snorted and poked him in the chest. "Dork."

"You know it." He grinned back.

He didn't know what exactly he would say to Mr. Brand just yet; he'd think about it long and hard for the rest of the night if he had to. But he'd do it. For this amazing girl standing in front of him, no task was too great.

* * *

Toothless slid onto a patch of rocky dirt, his claws raking large grooves in the earth. Hiccup dismounted and rested a hand on his dragon's nose to keep him quiet. The interior of the houses around them were quiet, and he wanted to keep it that way. Allie the Insincere did not like uninvited guests.

Hiccup stared at the house where he and Adrianna had stayed the night all those years ago. Exhausted and freezing from an hours' long flight, he'd done his best to acquire a small, quiet place to stay the night. Naturally Allie had been unhelpful and belligerent. Brandyn had intervened and offered them a place to stay at his home. Lofn had readily agreed and they had seemed like genuinely good people.

In fact, they'd never given Hiccup reason to doubt. Brandyn could be a bit crass at times, but so could Finn. He'd always been respectful and kind to Adrianna. He'd made friends, gotten a few jobs and assisted in volunteer work around the village. Hiccup couldn't understand why Brandyn would leave everything from his home and go through all the loopholes to start a new life on Berk just to throw it all away.

Honestly, Hiccup didn't care. He was here for one thing and one thing only. He didn't need to know Brandyn's reasons for why he did what he did. Brandyn was going to pay for his crimes, and Hiccup wasn't leaving until he avenged his baby girl.

Toothless nudged him toward the door they'd been watching for almost five minutes. Hiccup blinked out of his reverie, glancing up and down the street for guards. There hadn't been a sound in the entire street before or after they'd landed. Being the middle of the night and all, he was sure everyone was fast asleep. He needed to be as quiet as possible.

Gathering his nerve, Hiccup marched up to the door and knocked three times. After a few minutes of silence, he repeated the gesture once again. He waited for neighbors to wake and poke their heads out the windows, but none came. He raised his hand once again to knock when he heard movement inside. A slight gutter of flame flashed in the window before he saw a middle aged woman look through the window. Lofn's face lit up in surprise before the door swung open a moment later.

"Hiccup!" She gestured inside, welcoming him inside her home. Hiccup gestured for Toothless to stay put before accepting her invitation. He said nothing as she closed the door and locked it. He narrowed his eyes slightly at the action, wondering if Brandyn had told her to invite the Chief in and lock the door should he ever come for a visit. Leaving Toothless outside could be a dangerous choice, but Hiccup knew that with all the anger coursing through his body, he could take a fight with Brandyn. If Lofn fought him as well…

"What's happened?" Lofn set her candle down on a small table. She wrapped a knitted shawl around her night dress. "Is Brandyn alright?"

The question made him pause. She had to be protecting him.

"I don't know," Hiccup finally replied in a low voice. "I need to speak to him. Where is he?"

Lofn's face morphed into confusion. "What? I thought he was with you on Berk?"

Hiccup felt his face heat with anger. After all this time, this was not the road block he'd been expecting and his patience was already wearing thin. "He hasn't been on Berk in four months."

"What?"

"Stop playing games with me!" Hiccup snapped. She jerked back in fear, her eyes widening. "Where is Brandyn!"

Lofn shook her head. "I don't know, Hiccup! I thought he was on Berk! He hasn't stopped sending me letters!"

Hiccup's arms shook with suppressed rage. He had not traveled all the way out here for nothing. "Show me his room." He murmured in a deadly silent voice. "I am not leaving until I've talked with him."

Lofn didn't question him. She slid along the wall past him and darted up the stairs, quick to avoid him as he followed. Hiccup knew if Brandyn tried to escape any of the windows, Toothless would nab him. She led him to each room in the upstairs and even the downstairs, and though he searched every place he could, Brandyn was not there. His bedroom was empty, the bed clean of sheets and dresser drawers bare. Only a few boxes of spare belongings in the corner, which Hiccup did not recognize.

He turned in place in the empty room, hands on his hips. His prosthetic made a line of dust on the floorboards. This room had been empty for a long, long time.

Lofn stood in the doorway, a hand clutching the shawl at her chest. She watched him warily.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Hiccup asked softly.

Lofn shook her head. "Mother's Day? That's late April. He flew here on Syd and took me out for the day. But he went back to Berk when he left."

Brandyn hadn't been here since long before he'd raped Adrianna. He wanted to think that Lofn was still covering for him, but why would she lie? He saw nothing but honesty and confusion on her face and this bedroom was proof enough. Brandyn had not been here in quite some time.

Resigned, Hiccup shook his head and sat down on the empty bed. He was exhausted after an early morning, a total of seven hours' flight time combined for the entire day, most of the day devoted to training on Hjart. He'd made a split second decision to come out here, hellbent on revenge… and Brandyn was gone.

The mattress dipped as Lofn sat beside him. For a few minutes, the house was quiet. Hiccup owed her an explanation and now he didn't know where to begin.

Voicing his thoughts, Lofn asked, "What did Brandyn do?" Her tone surprised him; almost resigned, as if she'd anticipated something. The thought rekindled his anger.

But the words didn't come. He didn't want to beat the boy's mother down with his anger when it wasn't her crime. She didn't deserve that and _he_ had nearly knocked her door down in the middle of the night. Chief or no, he'd acted foolishly tonight.

"I'm sorry for all this." He replied, resting his elbows on his knees. "I thought he would be here."

"Brandyn wasn't always a stand up child." Lofn said carefully. "He started making better decisions about the time we met you and Adrianna, and after that he was just so excited at the prospect of moving to Berk. I thought he was making a turn."

Hiccup stood and paced the room. "Wrong turn."

Lofn pursed her lips. "What happened?"

Again, he didn't know how to reply. Now that he'd pushed his anger aside, saving it for the day he would find Brandyn, he had to tell Lofn in the calmest way possible. And hopefully incite her to help him find her son, even if it cost him his life.

Hiccup paused his pacing and ran it all through his mind one more time. How did a sharp young man like Brandyn come to Berk, ask to date the Chief's daughter and promise her the world, just to turn around and treat her so horribly? Hiccup and Astrid had trusted him. He'd had a stable friendship with Finn. Adrianna had even considered a serious future with him. So where had they all gone so wrong?

Brandyn had had a serious relationship with another girl, Dana for a considerable amount of time while he'd been dating Adrianna. But worst of all was the fact that when he was sleeping with Dana on possibly a regular basis, he'd made it his mission to force it on Adrianna?

The bed creaked and Lofn stepped in front of him, her crystal blue eyes concerned at his silence. Hiccup steeled himself. "He raped my daughter."

Lofn gasped, a shrill shriek. Her hands clapped against her mouth and she backed away, utterly horrified. "No! Oh no!" She shook her head, tears falling onto her hands.

Hiccup swallowed his own sorrow before it could surge up. "Now you understand why I'm here."

Lofn nodded. He hadn't been sure what her reaction would be. He'd almost feared it, waiting for her to blame the situation on Adrianna. He wouldn't allow such a response. But Lofn's sorrow could not be faked. Brandyn might have been a two-faced scoundrel, but Lofn was real.

"That isn't all, Lofn." Hiccup took a deep breath. Lofn eyes were puffy and red. "Adrianna is four months pregnant."

Lofn's eyes closed, tears sliding down her face once more. She sat down on the mattress and covered her face in her hands. He felt strangely empty inside, unsure how to continue.

She sniffed hard, pulling her light brown hair out of her face. Standing, she said, "Let me make us some tea. Then we can talk."

Hiccup nodded, following her out the door. In silence, she stoked a fire and put a kettle of water on a hanging rod. The Chief looked outside to see Toothless sleeping in a dark shadow alongside the house. Unless any of the guards specifically went looking, they wouldn't find the Night Fury. Hiccup flashed him a quick thumbs up before rejoining Lofn at the table.

The kettle whistled and within a minute they both had steaming cups of tea in front of them. Though her eyes were mournful, Lofn's hands were steady as she took a sip and nodded. "Tell me everything."

Hiccup obliged. He told her everything that Adrianna had relayed to him and Astrid back on the ship. He told of her attempt at running away to find solace in Bog Burglar Island and her rescue on Rune. Lofn pursed her lips at the accursed island's mention and whispered, "Poor girl."

He assured her that since their return to Berk, Adrianna had been thriving. "She's growing stronger every day, especially with her boyfriend, Erick." He paused. "One would think that I'd never allow another boy to date her, but I've discussed things with him and he intends to marry her. We aren't sure when yet but… he's a good match for her."

"And he wants to be this little one's father?"

"Yes." Hiccup nodded firmly. "He's a brave kid."

"Indeed." Lofn took another drink of her tea and Hiccup followed suit. "Brandyn never liked him."

"He mentioned Erick by name?" Hiccup asked. "I never understood why."

"Brandyn likes to be the smartest in the room." Lofn said quietly. "Erick must match him in intellect if there's a rivalry."

"Erick is sharp. I wouldn't be surprised if Finn picks him as a strategist for his council someday." Hiccup thought of the fight the boys had had over Adrianna's honor. If only he'd known then what he knew now, he would have been rolling on the ground with Brandyn himself.

The house was quiet for a few minutes while they thought. Hiccup emptied his cup and laced his fingers. "Lofn. I hope you understand that I need to find him. Do you know anything about his whereabouts?"

Lofn shook her head. "I wish I did. A mother always protects her children but in this, I cannot."

"Anything at all?"

She pursed her lips, looking unsure. "You might check Berserker Island."

Hiccup frowned. "Why would he go there?"

"He has some childhood friends there." Lofn replied quietly, her blue eyes averted. "As he grew older he visited them less, but if he was in trouble and didn't come to me, he could have gone to them instead. He might have wanted to spare me this trouble by going there." She rolled her eyes. "Fool."

Hiccup tapped his fingers against the table. "I want you to know, Lofn, that while I don't know you very well, I've never felt threatened by you. I know what it's like to feel shame for the things your child has done. Please understand, I don't blame you for Brandyn's crimes."

Lofn nodded her thanks. Her face softened and for a slight moment, her expression looked familiar. The moment passed and Hiccup pushed the strange thought away, thinking he might have seen the expression on Brandyn.

"I just wish I could have done more," Lofn said quietly. "He was so enamored by his… his father, and the men he… worked with. It was so hard to see my sweet little boy around those big, burly Vikings so much." She sniffed derisively. "But I had little say in the matter."

Hiccup's frown deepened. "Why is that?"

Lofn stiffened, the chair creaking beneath her. Her eyes had an alerted look to them suddenly, as if she'd said too much. She shook herself a heartbeat later and said, "His father wanted him to learn the trade."

"What was his trade?"

Again, she paused. Lofn had been nothing but honest with him, up until now. But maybe she had good reasons for being hesitant. Hiccup knew her husband had died when Brandyn was a little boy; maybe the memory was still too hard to think about.

"I'm sorry. Nevermind." Hiccup rubbed his face. He took a deep breath and sighed. It was extremely late and he'd better stop talking before he said something truly inconsiderate. "I should leave. I can continue my search another day."

"Wait." Lofn met his eyes, stilling his movements. Her eyes were bright, determined. Stronger than they had been a minute ago, as if she'd come to a decision. "I need to tell you something. After what Brandyn has done, I have decided that you deserve this. I will be on your side in this."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "You already said you'd tell me if you heard from him."

"Yes, but you don't know the whole truth about our past." Lofn's hands shook, but her gaze was steady.

He settled back in his chair once again. "Are you talking about your husband?"

Lofn shook her head. "He was never my husband. He was my owner." The words rattled in Hiccup's head as she gingerly pulled back the collar of her nightdress to reveal a brand. It was a simple circle with a P stamped in the middle.

Hiccup's heart fell. She'd been a pleasure slave.

She replaced the material and took a deep breath. "I have never told anyone this story, Hiccup. It is very sensitive information. I trust you will speak of it to no one unless absolutely necessary."

The Chief nodded his agreement, though he knew at least Astrid would hear the story. He told his wife everything.

Lofn clasped her hands and began: "I never knew my parents. The story goes that my mother was young and unwed; naturally, I was a shame on the family name and sold into slavery the day I was born. The midwife who birthed me was sold the same day, whether for my sake or because they wanted to hide the fact she'd been my mother's midwife. In any case, we were bought and placed on a ship of miscreants and slaves until they made port in Rune."

Hiccup blinked in surprise. Grey the Guileful was the current Chief of Rune. So she was referring to his father, Garrett the Glum.

"The Chief wanted the midwife, so I went with her. She promised that she'd care for me and I wouldn't be any trouble. He must have shown her some mercy because he allowed her to keep me, though by all rights, he owned me as well."

Lofn smiled tenderly. "Her name was Elise. She was a beautiful woman, her skin darker than coffee. People looked at her like she was an alien, but to me, she was everything. She taught me everything and kept me out of trouble. I helped her clean the Chief's home and if I was good, I played with his children. She had a beautiful singing voice, and long, strong arms." She laughed a little. "I even remember her chopping firewood for the family one day because all the men were out. She never complained, and was the most precious person in my life."

Hiccup knew why she paused her story. "What happened to her?"

"A sickness swept through the village. Being a healer and midwife, she was sent throughout the village to tend to the people." Lofn shook her head. "She caught the sickness and… it took her."

"How old were you?"

"Twelve."

He gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry."

Lofn nodded. "But not before I got to say goodbye. I wore a mask so I wouldn't catch the sickness. She spoke to me quietly so no one else would hear. She told me the story of my parents. She knew nothing of my father, but she told me my mother's name: Camille. That was her last gift to me before she passed."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "I remained with the Chief and his family for quite some time. But eventually when I was less a girl, and more of a woman…" She lowered her eyes. "I was no longer needed there. I begged them to let me stay, and… and even Grey, now Chief of Rune… he even begged his father. Make no mistake, he was always a horrid boy, but we _had_ grown up together. I'd never slipped up, surely I did not deserve this. But the payment was made and it couldn't be changed. So at sixteen I was sent to Outcast Island with my new owners."

Hiccup swallowed hard. The depravity of man truly knew no bounds.

"Those years are a blur. I am thankful that I don't remember most of it." Lofn said quietly. "But I do remember the day that I met Brandyn's father. I wish I could say he was like most of them, but he was boisterous and obnoxious. He stood out in a crowd. The first time he came to me, I hoped I'd never see him again." Lofn shrugged her eyebrows in distaste. "But he kept coming back.

"He tried to get to know me. It was difficult for me because it seemed he honestly wanted to woo me, but that is not the nature of pleasure slaves. It isn't flirtation and courting; it's all pleasure. I didn't know what he wanted from me other than what I was trained to do, sad as it is. Our owners were horrible to us if we did anything _but_ what we were trained to do." Lofn's lip curled with disgust. She shook off the awful memories. "But then he decided that I was his favorite. He came to me on a cold, dreary day and held up a piece of paper in front of my face. _You're mine, sweetheart, you're coming home with me!_ He'd said."

Lofn paused. "To be fair, he wasn't ever cruel with me. He was a cruel man, but never with me. So I suppose maybe I _was_ his favorite after all. But I left Outcast Island for a time and lived on Berserker Island. And within a year, I was pregnant."

"And how old were you by this point?" Hiccup asked, afraid of the answer.

"Thirty-one."

Hiccup raised his eyebrows. "Forgive me, but how old _are_ you? You don't look a day over thirty-one right now."

Lofn laughed lightly. "I turned fifty this year."

"Wow. You age very well, Ms. Anderson."

"It's the tea," Lofn tapped her cup. "Anyway, I had Brandyn, my only son. And his father was so proud. He took that little boy everywhere he went on that island. But when he left, Brandyn stayed with me. Brandyn was seven when his father died. And it pains me to say that it traumatized him. But… he wanted his son to be there."

"Be there? Was it a work accident or something?" Hiccup asked.

Lofn met his eyes. "His death was no accident."

Hiccup frowned. "No?"

Lofn rung her hands in front of her, that fear returning to her eyes. "N-no, it was very much intentional. And unfortunately, he instigated it."

"He was murdered in cold blood?" Hiccup asked.

"Some would believe so."

"Well, what did he do?"

"...he tried to take a man's children."

"Well I daresay trying to kidnap someone's kids warrants an attack." Hiccup snarked.

Lofn's blue eyes stared at him, not sharing in his amusement. Why was that look so familiar? Brandyn's eyes were not that blue, and besides, he had never looked at him so pleadingly before…

"He had a rivalry with this other man their entire lives," Lofn continued softly, not breaking her gaze. "He could never best him in wits or battle. As they got older, he discovered just what it would take to bring his enemy to his knees. If he took his children away, he would win." Hiccup's smile slid from his face. "And his own son was such a secret; in fact, his favored woman was such a mystery among his own men, his nemesis never had any way of knowing that he had a child of his own.

"He was so determined to win. He kidnapped the man's wife; though he lost that battle, he had a theory on how to end their rivalry once and for all. It became his obsession. He memorized every law and order he could get his hands on. He tried to take this man's children away and the only loophole his nemesis could find was in a fight to the death."

Hiccup stood abruptly in his seat, the wooden legs screeching in the quiet. Cold sweat covered his limbs. It wasn't possible… It _couldn't_ be possible.

"All the things Brandyn did… horrible as they are, it makes sense." Lofn implored. "Giving you and Adrianna a place to stay, befriending you, moving to Berk to have a relationship with your daughter-"

"No." Hiccup turned away, heart racing.

"-doing everything he could to get close to you and your family." Lofn stressed. Even though he already knew the answer, she said the words he'd been dreading. "I think Brandyn did all the things he did because… because you killed his father."

It couldn't be true. Hiccup shoved his hands into his hair, mind racing with memories. He racked his brain, searching for the flaws, trying to find a little boy in his memories. But there hadn't been one. He'd been too focused on saving his own children. And that blasted, psychotic man had known it.

Then he remembered that horrible nightmare he'd had. He and Fishlegs had embarked on a harebrained mission in search of Finn. Hiccup had been so depressed and prepared to divorce Astrid over guilt. His family and village had been destroyed in that nightmare, all hope lost… Almost as if it had been a vision of what the future might have been if he hadn't won that duel.

What was it Dagur had said in the dream?

Bracing a hand against the wall, Hiccup covered his mouth. He felt like he was going to be sick.

In the dream, Dagur had murdered Adrianna, then threatened to go after Finn next if Astrid didn't cooperate. When Astrid cried out that he'd promised Finn would be heir, Dagur had _laughed_ and said…

 _Oh Astrid. Do you really think I_ **need** _your son as my heir?_

Hiccup turned back to Lofn as if in a trance. "It can't be true," he pleaded.

Lofn's expression was sorrowful. "I'm sorry. Brandyn is his father's son. He is as cunning as a fox and I…" Her eyes brimmed with tears. "I am sorry for any part I may have played in deceiving you. I honestly thought he had forgiven you with the way he cared for Adrianna."

Turning away, Hiccup rested his forehead against the window pane. Toothless looked up from the shadows in concern. The Chief of Berk closed his eyes and allowed the memories and the pain and the realization to wash over his soul.

Brandyn's father was Dagur the Deranged. And Adrianna was carrying his grandchild.


	25. Game Plan

Finn awoke to sunlight streaming through his bedroom window. With a long stretch he sat up and blinked into the sunlight. He frowned at his rather untidy room, wondering when he'd become so lazy. Checking his neck for the Fortis necklace to make sure it was still there, he hopped out of bed, grabbed a towel and headed for the washroom.

Twenty minutes later he returned to his room feeling clean and wearing fresh clothes. It took about ten minutes to clean up his room (really, he hadn't taken his dirty clothes to the washroom in over a week) before he stopped in his tracks halfway down the stairs.

His side wasn't hurting.

Finn took a deep breath and exhaled. A slow smile crept onto his face. He couldn't believe that he actually wasn't feeling any pain! Not only that, he felt really good, like he'd finally woken up after countless weeks of exhaustion.

It took all his willpower not to cheer with excitement. Adrianna did not like being woken up early and now that she was in her second trimester she needed all the sleep she could get.

Dropping off his large load of laundry into the wash room, Finn trotted into the kitchen and nearly squeezed his mom to death in a bone crushing hug.

Astrid yelped when her feet left the ground. She chuckled and patted her son's back. "Good morning. What are you so happy about?"

"Mom, I feel  _really_  good today. Like…" He set her down and couldn't help the grin. "Like I could run a mile."

Astrid smiled and patted his shoulders. "Great, Finn! You know what I'm going to say though."

"Don't overdo it, yup!" Finn opened the icebox in search of food. "What's dad doing today?"

"Hmph. I can't say that I can answer that question." Astrid said, tossing her braid over her shoulder.

"Why?" Finn asked, pulling out the juice. "What time did he get home last night?"

Astrid gave him a level stare.

"You're kidding me. He isn't back yet?" Finn asked, incredulous.

"Nope. No warning, no note." Astrid huffed. "I really hate it when he does this."

Finn winced. "Well he hasn't made a habit out of it."

"No, rather he'd better not fall back into  _old_  habits. He used to do this all the time when we were young."

"Oh." Finn smiled a little while he cooked some eggs. "I always forget that dad used to be a bit nomadic when he was younger."

Astrid gave a derisive "hmph" that made Finn bite back a laugh. In all seriousness though, it was strange that his dad had returned from Hjart just to turn back around and leave again. Where had he gone? Why hadn't he at least told them before leaving again? Surely they wouldn't have cared so long as they knew where he was going.

"If he's not back by dinner time then I'm going to go look for him."

Finn faced his mother, who was pushing oatmeal around in her bowl distractedly. Her blue eyes were fixed on the window. "I'm sure he's fine; Toothless is with him."

"I'm not worried; I'm irritated." Finn hid another smile; she was totally worried. Her spoon dropped into the bowl with a clatter. "There's no reason to hide anything from us."

"Hide? What would he be hiding?"

Astrid looked at him. "Finn, where else would your father go without telling us?"

Their closest allies-Brawn, Bog Burglar Island, Berserker Island, and now Hjart-couldn't be in trouble. Hiccup would have notified the entire council, which included Astrid. So that only left their less than friendly allies. Mainly, Rune and Outcast Island. And that meant-

Finn stared at his mom. "You don't think-"

"Oh, I do think." Astrid muttered, looking back out the window. "Your father is smart, but when he's exhausted, he thinks too much, and when he thinks too much, he makes less than smart decisions. Mainly stupid." Standing and dropping the remains of her breakfast in the trash, she began to wash the dishes.

Finn finished his breakfast and helped her, which only took a few minutes. He nudged her with an elbow. "I'm sure he's fine; he'll be back soon and then you can kick his butt."

Astrid raised an eyebrow at her son. "Usually I'd tell you to watch yourself, mister."

"Come on, I've heard the story. You used to keep him in line."

A proud smile slipped onto her face. "The only woman to ever do so, mind you."

Finn laughed a little. He hadn't really thought about it before, but it was true. The only person the Great Dragon Conqueror had ever answered to was his wife.

"You guys have been best friends for a long time." Finn marveled.

Astrid dried the last dish and met his eye. "Yes. Granted, I wasn't very kind to him for the first fifteen years of our lives."

"Yeah, but for the last twenty years…" Finn trailed off.

He could feel his mom watching him, even as he thought. "What are you thinking about?"

"I don't know." Finn leaned against the counter. How did he put his sudden weird emotions into words? "I guess it's… something desirable to want something similar someday. If it's not weird to say to your mom."

Astrid laughed. "There's nothing weird about that-telling me or wanting a strong relationship. It's been a while since you've dated anyone."

Finn blew air past his lips. "That's because I didn't deserve to date anyone. Heck, I probably never should have dated anyone to begin with."

"Maybe so, but you've learned a lot. How to act and especially how not to act."

"Yeah…" Finn allowed a few memories to cross his mind before shoving them away.

"What is it?" Astrid asked.

Finn looked at his shoes. "I don't know… Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be better than that. I don't want to screw up again."

"Finn, you have changed so much the last two years." Astrid replied. "Your father and I are so proud of the young man you have become. I know it hasn't been easy and you still have your moments, but that's part of being human. Nobody is perfect, and the right girl won't expect you to be."

"Yeah, but it's a legitimate fear."

"Yes, it is." Astrid rested a hand on his arm. "But I know that you'll do the right thing when the right girl comes along. It's good that you're sensitive about it. Just don't hold yourself to such a high standard so much that you aren't you."

Finn gave her a wan smile. "Yes, if I ever have the pleasure of meeting Miss Right."

"Oh she's out there somewhere. Who knows, maybe you already know her." Astrid winked and marched to the doorway to grab her boots. "I'm off to the Academy; if I don't leave now I'll be late. What are you going to do this morning?"

"I'm going to take a walk in the woods I think. I'll take Zap." Finn replied, pulling on his own boots. He stuck his hand out the door and winced at the morning chill. "Wow."

"Cold weather is coming early. Don't be out too long and don't ov-"

"Don't overdo it, I won't." Finn lightly rolled his eyes and followed his mom outside.

Together they strolled into the barn where the dragons were nipping at each other or blowing smoke rings, as was Lily's case. Finn gave the Nightmare a scratch on the nose as he walked by. He resolved to give the dragon a wash later, knowing she was probably bored without being able to fly with Adrianna.

"Hey Zappie girl!" Finn grinned as the Shockjaw shoved her face over his shoulder and snuggled him close. She growled deep in her throat, making his insides shiver. He scratched her scales and winced when a few flaked beneath his nails. "Yup, both of you ladies are getting baths today."

Astrid nodded in agreement. "They'll enjoy that. Maybe I'll bring Stormfly back in time for one later. You guys have a good day."

"See you, mom!" Finn waved as she and Stormfly took off out the door. He turned back to Zap and Lily. "Who wants to take a walk?"

Both dragons danced with excitement and charged out the door, nearly knocking him over as they went. Finn was very glad he was feeling better; a mere week ago if he'd been bumped around like that, he'd have been writhing on the floor in pain.

With a little trepidation, Finn jogged after the dragons toward the trees. He was again surprised when he felt no pain in his side. He laughed and sped up a little to keep up with the tussling dragons, careful to stay clear of their barbed tails.

He followed them for a while through the woods, pausing every few minutes to catch his breath. He was definitely out of shape. Thankfully the sun rose over the trees, chasing away the shadows. It didn't take long for the morning chill to disperse and soon he was taking off his jacket.

When the dragons stopped to take a drink from a small pond, Finn lay down on a log with a sigh. The smell of pine needles and sap and dirt filled his nose and he sighed again, feeling the tension from the last few months recede. He'd forgotten how much he loved the woods.

A shadow filled his vision and he opened his eyes in time to see Zap open her mouth. Water fell from her mouth onto his face and he recoiled, rolling off the log, hacking. He spit a slimy wad of water out of his mouth, refusing to gag.

"I really  _hate it_ when you do that." Finn grumbled, wiping his face off with his jacket.

Zap chortled and pranced away.

He still didn't know why she did it. His dad had assumed Shockjaw parents brought water to their young via mouth to mouth. Finn had not been sure how to feel about that information-the fact that his dragon knew when he was thirsty or that she treated him like he was her youngling.

Finn watched his dragon play with Lily, a little surprised the Monstrous Nightmare had complied so easily. Usually she got irritated with Zap and her antics.

As he stood from the ground, a sharp pain lanced his side and he inhaled sharply. Two dragon heads swiveled toward him. Finn waited for the pain to subside before exhaling, testing the area with a hand. His side didn't hurt to touch but inside he could feel the area warming up, like it had it's own pulse.

He sighed. "That's my cue to go home, I guess. Come on, ladies."

The dragons followed him closely, which he could tell was motherly instinct. It was strange to have dragons watching his every move as if they were waiting for something to happen. Thankfully they arrived at the house a short time later accident free, and while he felt tired from his morning walk, it left him feeling energized.

Lily growled excitedly and ran to the porch. Zap took to the air over the house as Finn turned the corner, finding Adrianna sitting in one of the chairs. She scratched her dragon's nose affectionately and smiled at him in greeting.

"Hey. You went for a walk?"

"Yeah." Finn sighed, taking the seat beside hers. "I've actually felt really good today."

"Good!" Adrianna smiled again.

Finn smiled back. "You must be feeling good if you're this cheery."

"First night I didn't wake up halfway through the night. Well..." Adrianna paused, reconsidering. "Okay once because I had to pee. But I didn't wake up because I felt barfy or because I simply couldn't sleep. It's really obnoxious you know-"

He closed his eyes as she prattled, shaking his head. He listened as she talked and talked and talked… After a while Finn didn't know what she was talking about, so he half listened to his sister and the Terrible Terrors growling at Zap as she flew in tight circles around the house. Finn opened his eyes to call her down when he saw a black shape in the sky heading towards them.

"-such a nuisance, and you know what he said? He said that mosquitos and spiders are each good for the ecosystem. I mean I suppose they're good for something or they wouldn't exist-"

Finn stood. "Adrianna." He vaguely heard her stop talking as he left the porch and stood in the front yard while his dad and Toothless came in for a slow landing.

Adrianna joined him in the grass, her green eyes wide. "They didn't come back last night?" She whispered hoarsely.

"Nope." Finn ushered her back as Toothless finally landed, kicking up a cloud of dust from his wings and legs. The Night Fury growled in exhaustion, his wings flopping to the ground on either side of him.

Hiccup didn't look any better. In fact, he looked about ready to drop. But that wasn't what made Finn's heart rate pick up. It was the hollow, empty expression on his dad's face as he dismounted and began untying the saddlebags. Despite this, Finn didn't hold back his irritation.

"Where have you guys been?" He demanded. "Mom was up half the night worried."

Hiccup didn't reply. In fact, he wasn't sure if his dad had even heard.

Adrianna put a hand on Finn's arm, probably to keep him quiet. She stepped closer. "Daddy? Are you okay?"

Finn watched as his dad's movements became jerky. He stepped up and put a hand on the saddle. "Dad, I can take care of Toothless."

Without responding, Hiccup turned and wrapped Adrianna in a hug. She hugged him back but stared back at Finn with shock. He knew his expression wasn't much better. Something had happened.

Hiccup pulled back and cupped Adrianna's chin in his hand, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "I love you, Addie."

"I know, daddy. Tell me what's wrong, what happened? Where did you go?" Adrianna asked.

In a blink, his demeanor changed. Finn knew exactly what he was doing: he'd closed the door on his emotions to ignore their questions. He grabbed Toothless' saddle and bags and walked to the barn. "We'll talk in a little bit." Dropping his things off on the table, he watched Toothless crash in his pen full of hay. Finn thought the Night Fury must really be exhausted if he preferred hay over his lava stone inside the house. "Tell your mom I'm home. I'm going to bed."

And with that, Hiccup turned and went inside the house.

When the door snapped closed, Adrianna whirled to Finn. "What in the world was that?"

Finn shook his head. "I don't know. But it almost looked like-"

"Like he's seen a ghost." Adrianna finished, looking back at the house with worry. "You have no idea where he went?"

Biting his tongue, Finn shook his head. He had a theory, but he had no intention of sharing it with his sister. She didn't need the stress. And besides, Hiccup said they'd talk later. There was no use speculating when they'd find out soon enough.

* * *

Finn sent a message to his mom via Terrible Terror that Hiccup was home. He traipsed through the village in search of Erick or Cliff, needing one of his "bestest bruhs" to discuss the most recent goings-on of the Haddock household.

He couldn't get his dad's strange behavior out of his head. If his hunch was correct, Hiccup should have returned with some sense of retribution. Instead he looked the exact opposite. What could have happened?

It had been a long time since Finn had seen that empty look on his dad's face. When Finn had been nothing but a thorn in his parents' side two years ago, he'd caused his father some serious pain. Not even that could equate to this hopeless despair. No, the last time Finn had seen Hiccup this distressed was when his parents had almost divorced and the circumstances revolving around that horrible duel…

Finn kicked a pebble across the street with a huff. It was almost high noon; his dad had only been home for about an hour. If he had any hope of getting answers to his questions, he probably would have to wait until after dinner.

"Hey!"

Inga suddenly appeared at his side, matching his gait. "Why the long face? It's almost harvest season!"

The thought did brighten his mood a little. He loved harvest season. "True; you'll be happy to know that I've felt really good today."

"Oh good! So you'll be able to help with the harvest for sure!" Inga grinned.

"Yup." Finn's smile tapered.

Inga poked his arm. "Come onnnn, don't be a crab apple."

Finn huffed a laugh. "I am not a crab apple."

"You Haddocks always have something to be upset about."

Indignation flared in his chest. She didn't know, so he needn't get upset. Taking a deep breath, Finn shoved his hands into his pockets and tried for a patient response. "It's been a rough year."

"It's been a rough life, I say." Inga nodded. "But alas, why wallow in self pity when you can do something about it instead?"

"What makes you the expert in the trials of life?" Finn countered.

Inga raised an eyebrow. "Maybe not expert, but I've had my fair share of problems. Just because they're not your problem doesn't mean they're not important."

"Yeah, I know," Finn sighed. "Though I could also say right back at you."

She tossed her dark hair over her shoulder. "I'm not really succeeding in making you feel better, am I?"

"Nope."

"What exactly are you bent out of shape about exactly?"

Finn halted in the middle of the street. "Ya know, maybe it's something serious and not a joke."

Inga blinked up at him in surprise.

"There's a lot going on in my family right now and my dad is acting weird. I'd appreciate it if you stopped with the brash comments for two minutes."

Inga's blue eyes had narrowed to slits. "So what? You don't want to talk to me?"

"That's not what I said!" Finn managed, despite his anger. "I like talking to you about stuff but sometimes you don't know when it's the right time for jokes."

"Oh, that's really fresh coming from you," Inga tossed her head. "Considering you always have the most tasteless jokes."

"What is that even supposed to mean?" Finn threw his hands up in the air. "That has literally nothing to do with this conversation."

"Actually it does if you listened to more than just yourself." Inga snapped, marching away.

"Okay! So I guess we're not talking then!" Finn yelled after her.

"Nope, I guess not!" Inga sashayed away.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Finn growled in irritation and stomped away, ignoring the few odd looks he was getting. He hadn't meant for things to get so out of hand, but was it too much to ask for her to just stop and listen? She'd come up to him after all and if she wanted to know what was wrong, why didn't she take it seriously? Maybe it was old news that his family had a new tragic development and maybe she didn't really want to hear it, but he'd wanted someone to talk to. Again, was that so much to ask?

It was no secret that Inga liked him. He'd figured it out weeks ago, what with his staying at the healers and all. People had been teasing him about her for years and for some reason, Finn was just on the fence. He liked Inga as a friend and wondered if they had the potential for something more…

But he couldn't get past the fact that she was only thirteen. She didn't see the world like he did. He felt horrible for being so unsure about his feelings for her… and for being, as she put it, a crab apple all the time.

Finn turned a look over his shoulder. Inga had long since disappeared. He chewed on his lip for a moment of indecisiveness.

"Ah blast it."

Turning on his heel, Finn sprinted through the streets after her. Confused feelings or no, she  _was_  his friend, and he didn't want to have any lingering animosity over something so petty. Ducking past a few carts, he saw Inga walking towards the healers. Before she even made it to the door, he caught up with her, though he was panting with the exertion.

Inga's initial irritation disappeared. "Breathe, Finn. You're going to-"

Finn held up a hand through his wheezing. "Don't say it, please." Standing up straight he finally caught his breath enough to say: "I'm sorry."

Inga blinked in surprise.

"You're right; I'm a crab apple. I don't try to be, I just get frustrated with everything that's going on. And I don't need to take it out on you."

A slow smile crept across her face. "No, you really don't."

Finn felt a little disappointed, unsure what kind of response he'd hoped for. Why was it all so confusing?

Inga shrugged. "It's fine; I could cut back on the joking."

Finn relaxed a little. "Thanks."

"I have to go to work now, give my mom a break." Inga slipped past him. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, later." Finn watched her go inside and finally traipsed away from the building. Shoving his hands back into his pockets, he once again felt the day's anxieties building. On top of his father's strange behaviour, now he had to try to figure out Inga too? Combine that with his sister's pregnancy hormones throwing her out of whack every day…

Finn sighed. It was a wonder he hadn't gone insane yet.

* * *

Cliff flattened his hair with his hands once again, grinning in triumph when it stayed. He opened his mouth to cheer when his curls regained their former volume with what he swore was an audible  _poof_. This was absurd, of course. He didn't hear anything, but if his hair had to be so wild then it might as well have a sound effect.

This was his dilemma: how was he going to impress Mr. Brand and ask for permission to date Taryn if he couldn't even get his HAIR under control?

Mismatched footsteps caught his attention before Erick leaned into the room. "You ready?"

"No."

"You look good, bro."

Cliff looked down at his clothes. After some time searching through his closet, he'd finally found a pair of nice brown trousers. However, he'd had to find a shirt elsewhere. Finally his mom had lent him a nice blue shirt that had once belonged to his dad. The simple dyed wool was soft and warm. Combined with his jacket and boots, he hoped he looked more put together than he felt. He felt like he could see every wrinkle and stain, but Erick didn't lie. Maybe he didn't look half bad. Now if only his hair would cooperate.

He slumped. "Ughhhh I'm so not ready."

Erick laughed and stepped into the room. He squeezed Cliff's shoulders, which surprisingly released a lot of tension in his muscles. "It'll be fine. Clyde's not so bad once you get to know him."

"I feel ridiculous." Cliff muttered. He'd never cared before about appearances, but the Brands did. He had to look the part if he was to get a chance, but what if Clyde saw right through him and shot him down before he could even speak?

"Cliff, come on," Erick leaned against the desk, peering down at him. "He'd be stupid not to give you a chance. If anyone in the village deserves it, it's you."

Cliff's stomach dissolved into butterflies and he swallowed hard. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"It'll be f-"

"No really, what the heck am I doing? I don't know!" Cliff stood and paced the room, shoving his hands through his mess of brown curls. He stared at Erick with wide eyes. "There should be a book on wooing women and impressing their fathers!"

Erick looked like he was holding back a laugh.

"This isn't  _funny_ , Erick!"

His bro coughed, trying to regain composure. "You're right, I'm sorry. This is a big deal."

"A  _very_  big deal!"

"Super big deal."

The small house was quiet for a moment. Cliff continued running his hands through his hair. "What do I say?" He asked meekly.

Erick straightened and gently slapped Cliff's hands down from his hair. He straightened his jacket and looked him square in the eye. "Tell him that you believe his daughter is very special. She deserves the world. And while you're not perfect, you're willing to do whatever it takes to prove yourself to him."

Cliff gulped and nodded resolutely. "Whatever it takes."

Erick nodded. He pointed at Cliff for a moment as if to say "wait" and left the room. Cliff waited in curiosity before his friend returned a moment later with a bottle.

"I don't use this very often because it's expensive," Erick held it up. It had a small nozzle on the top. He sprayed it once on Cliff's jacket and smiled. "There, now you smell good too."

Cliff lifted his arm and gave a tentative sniff. It was a nice musky, woodsy scent. He raised an eyebrow. "I don't think Mr. Brand is going to care what I smell like."

Erick shrugged. "It's all about impressions. Now let's go!" Shoving Cliff by the shoulders, he frog-marched him outside.

"WHAT?! NO!" Cliff scrabbled for any furniture he could latch onto, which was most things since his reach was longer than Erick's. The blond (despite his laughter) continued to shove and slapped Cliff's hands when he didn't release the couch.

"You are GOING and you are going RIGHT NOW!" Erick finally shoved Cliff onto the porch. Their neighbors ignored their shenanigans, as usual.

Cliff stared at him imploringly. "I'm not ready!"

"You are completely ready, Cliff, it's now or never!" Erick crossed his arms. "If you don't do it now you won't ever be ready! Besides, it's your own fault for setting yourself a time limit of one day."

"Huh?"

"You told Taryn you'd talk to him today!"

"Well yeah, but surely I didn't mean TODAY!"

Erick grinned. "So if not today, when?"

Cliff pulled on his face with a nervous hiss.

"Cliff, really, you'll feel better when it's over."

"Unless he kills me."

"He won't! It's going to be fine!"

Cliff stared up at his bestest bro hopefully. "You wouldn't care to join me on my final walk would you?"

Erick snorted. "No. I've got stuff to do."

"But-"

"No!" Erick stepped down from the door. "You are going to talk to Mr. Brand, you are going to do it right now, and you're not going to come back to this place until you have a date in the works!"

Cliff stared at him with ever wide eyes.

"Sounds good!" Erick grinned, walking back up the porch. "We can celebrate when you come back."

"But-"

"Good luck!" Erick turned and shut the door in his face.

Erick had kicked him out! The injustice! The rudeness! How could his bro do this to him! After all he'd done to be there for him and Erick couldn't just...just…

Cliff took a long, deep breath. "Okay." He glared at the front door, half hoping Erick would change his mind. His blond bro did not return. He had more hope for pink snowflakes to fall than for Erick to coddle him further.

"Okay! Fine!" Cliff yelled, earning a glare from his neighbor Marcy. He walked toward the village square, towards Taryn's house, towards his doom. "I'll show that Larson boy a thing or two. I'll show him that I can do this and this is no joke and no time for fun and games. What's he think, now that's he's practically engaged that this is just simple pickings for the rest of us! Finn won't even ask a girl out!"

Cliff rambled to himself the entire walk. This was obviously a result of stress… and all completely Erick's fault, of course.

He's screeched to a halt. Taryn's house loomed above him.

Cliff wasn't the reader that Erick and Adrianna were but he'd done his fair share of reading storybooks in his shyer days. One of his favorite books had been about a haunted mansion with ghosts and ghouls and poltergeists and… well, at the moment, he'd rather face all the horrors inside that house than knock on the Brands' door.

"Okay, Cliff. You got this." he muttered, taking several deep breaths. "You are smart. You are funny. You are adorable. You have got this. Yeah, you got this! I got this! I-"

"Cliff?"

Cliff's blood ran cold. He had been so busy trying to encourage himself that he had failed to notice that the door was open and Clyde Brand was looking him right in the eye. It didn't help that his eyes were exactly the same shade of brown as his daughter's.

"Hi." He squeaked, his voice cracking as if he were still going through puberty. He cleared his throat. "Uhh, hello, Mr. Brand."

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Clyde asked, though he certainly didn't  _look_  pleased.

"Mr. Brand, I wanted to have a civil, adult discussion about your daughter, Taryn." Cliff said rather quickly. He had rehearsed several lines in front of the mirror and he had no idea why this one had popped into his head.

Clyde stared at him for a moment, his expression unreadable. "She's not home right now. But please, come in."

Come in? Cliff's mind was in a whirl. Maybe Clyde planned to tie him to a chair and chop him up into teeny tiny little pieces-

Cliff shook himself and walked in, not eager to incur the wrath of Clyde so soon. The man was, after all, standing at the door and waiting for him to come inside. The door closed and Cliff surveyed the tidy house. It had a very warm, cozy feel to it. The colors of the curtains matched the towels and napkins, and Cliff blinked in surprise at the beautiful teacups sitting high up on a shelf. If anything were to happen to those, Mrs. Brand would-

"Please, sit down."

Cliff took the closest seat at the table. Clyde took the seat at the head of the table and watched him with a level expression. Cliff resisted the urge to fidget, drum his fingers against the table, or run his hands through his hair. He was always in constant motion; being forced to sit still at any time was akin to being sent to bed without dinner before the sun had even set. Talk about torture!

"I don't know what to think of you, Cliff Smedley." Clyde broke the silence, his deep voice calm. Cliff held eye contact and forced himself to hold still. "But the Chief and your friends speak highly of you. Taryn seems to enjoy your company. Therefore, I will let you speak."

Cliff's heart lurched. The Chief had vouched for him? Mr. Brand had talked to his  _friends_?

He realized the house was growing quieter because Clyde was patiently waiting. He took a deep breath and pushed his fears aside. He was here and Mr. Brand was giving him a chance to at least speak.

"First off all, Mr. Brand, I'm sorry about that one afternoon. I tend to make quick decisions without thinking. I should have known to ask your permission to spend time with Taryn. So, I'm sorry that my ignorance caused problems."

Clyde nodded silently. Was he merely affirming Cliff's screw up, or accepting his apology?

"Secondly," Cliff continued, his knee beginning to bob up and down beneath the table. "I hope Taryn isn't in trouble because of me. I'd never want her or her reputation to be tainted because I screwed up."

"Her reputation?" Clyde asked.

Heart in his throat, Cliff nodded. "Yes. Um… How loyal she is to you and her mom. She's a family girl and wants to make you guys proud."

Again, Clyde nodded. "But?"

"But… I think she agreed to go with me because she wanted to have a good time. Granted, both of us should have known better," Cliff added. "But I don't think she did it to rebel against your authority."

"Even though she knows better and she chose otherwise, that's not rebellion?"

"In some cases, I think it could be translated that way. Other kids it might, but not Taryn."

"Kids like you?"

Cliff cracked a smile. "I'm not rebellious, sir, I'm just free spirited."

"And you think that's good for Taryn?"

Cliff subtly wiped his palms on his pants. "I think Taryn knows who she is; she has strong values and knows what is a waste of time and what is more productive."

"Yes, she does. But where exactly do you fit into the picture?"

"Well... I don't exactly know that yet, sir."

"Yet?"

Cliff gulped. He was so going to get the boot. Clyde certainly didn't look impressed.

"Son, I want you to tell me this honestly," Clyde leaned back with steepled fingers. "What exactly are your intentions with my daughter? You seem like a good young man, but so was Brandyn Anderson."

Cliff flinched.

"That's not to say that I think you'd ever harm my daughter in such a vile way." Clyde added gently. "But you must understand why I'm so bent on protecting her."

Cliff nodded in agreement, despite his pounding heart. "I'd never."

Clyde took a deep breath. "Then what is it about Taryn that has you so interested?"

Memories filled Cliff's mind in a blink. Showing her the little oasis, seeing the light in her eyes when experiencing new things, her uproarious laughter after she'd shoved him into the water. The pun games and showing up at his house late the night before because of all the people she wanted to adventure with, it was him (not that Clyde needed to know  _that_  bit).

"You really do like her don't you?" Clyde's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Cliff found himself smiling. He blushed and looked down. "A bit, sir."

"So?" Clyde sounded a bit more amused than he had a minute ago.

So Cliff told him. He told Mr. Brand all the things he thought about Taryn. It felt a little strange at first, but Cliff found that he was less afraid the more he spoke. Clyde wanted to hear the truth and, despite his rambling, Cliff spoke best when he was honest. Taryn was beautiful and kind, she worked hard, perhaps a little too hard, and when it came down to it, she needed more fun in her life. She had a hilarious laugh and her pun game was strong. She was confident and outspoken and everything perfect that he wasn't.

"I don't say this at all to sound like… I need her to fulfill anything for me like fill my empty spaces or parts of my personality that are lacking, but… the way Taryn interacts with me feels like more than just a simple friendship. It's not like Inga Jorgenson or Helga Ingerman, or even Adrianna, who's more like my sister. I obviously don't know the future or what's best for Taryn; that's ultimately for you to decide. But I do care about her as my friend, and I respect her a lot. And…" Cliff paused, looking down at the table. "I know I'm not the traditional guy that you might want. I talk too much and I'm constantly running around doing something. But what better girl to get me back in line than Taryn?"

Clyde chuckled, seemingly in agreement.

Cliff sighed. "I could go on, sir, but I could probably talk until your ears bleed."

"Well we can't have that."

Cliff blinked; did Mr. Brand… just make a  _joke_?

"Alright, Cliff," Clyde sat forward, hands folded. He watched the teenager for what felt like eons. Cliff waited with bated breath to hear the fated words, "you're out of here!"

"I want her home by nine pm sharp." Cliff's heart lurched. "I want you two to be in public places until I give permission to go elsewhere. No leaving Berk. I want to know where she is."

Cliff nodded vehemently, his curls bobbing. "Yes! Yes. Of course. I'll totally keep you informed-"

"And," Clyde raised a finger, silencing the teenager. "You may come over at any time."

Joy exploded through Cliff's chest so hard that he thought he might explode! Or pass out… or throw up-

Female chatter sounded outside the door before it opened to reveal Mrs. Brand, Taryn, and Alton. The ladies arms were full of vases and flowers as they spoke to Alton. The trio paused, Taryn's eyes wide in fear.

"Hi!" Cliff grinned.

Mrs. Brand raised a brow at her husband. "Hello, Cliff."

Clyde stood and clapped Cliff on the shoulder. "Taryn," He said with a smile, taking the flowers from her arms. "I do believe you have some catching up to do with Mr. Smedley."

Alton was grinning as widely as Cliff, who stood and pushed his chair back in. Taryn looked utterly confused. "What?"

Clyde kissed her forehead. "Have fun with your new boyfriend."

Cliff wanted to melt at the shocked, surprised and utterly happy look on Taryn's face. "Aw daddy!" She hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

Clyde smiled widely and followed Mrs. Brand to the kitchen, who was also smiling widely.

"It is about time!" Alton cheered.

Cliff had no words. Taryn had already turned to him and given him a dazzling smile. He couldn't believe his luck! How was this even possible? He'd thought he was dead meat!

"Let's have an adventure Mr. Smedley." Taryn said knowingly.

Cliff never thought he would almost die at seventeen, but he nearly did that day. He nearly did.

* * *

Discouraged as they were by their dad's behavior, the twins ended up having a productive day. Finn gathered some supplies at the nearest dragon wash and together with his sister, gave Lily and Zap a much needed bath. Of course, the kids got more wet than the dragons, with Lily's heated skin evaporating the water and Zap's constant shaking.

They were soon joined by Erick and Cliff, the latter regaling them with his tale of bravery. When he said Clyde Brand had given him and Taryn permission to date, the Haddocks cheered. Even Zap gave a mighty splash in the tub, though Finn suspected she was merely growing bored with all the chatter.

After a few hours drying in the sun, the Haddocks grabbed their things to return home. The afternoon had dwindled into dusk, and while they had yet to eat dinner, they were eager to get home and figure out what was wrong with their dad. They didn't share their concerns with their friends, even though Erick followed. Cliff bid them good night, saying he was meeting Taryn at the Great Hall. They wished him luck, snickering at his awkward blushing, and marched to the Haddocks home. Their conversation and laughter dissipated when they stepped into the house and found it to be different than before.

Finn noticed the change first. All the doors and windows had brand new locks, and the distinct smell of pine filled the house. Astrid was sweeping wood shavings off the floor. It took Finn another minute to realize there was brand new window trimming, especially on the window beside the door. A dragon attack a few years ago had damaged the wood, but they'd never replaced it. Now it seemed that instead of sleeping most of the day like he probably should have been, his dad had made some serious upgrades to the house.

Hiccup was sitting at the table, writing in a journal with a pensive expression. He looked up when they walked in and slapped his notebook shut. "Good, you're both home. Where is Erick?"

Adrianna paused in taking off her boots, using Finn's shoulder to keep her balance. "He's putting Lily and Zap away for us."

"Good." Hiccup slid his things off to the far corner of the table. "I need him here for this conversation."

Astrid wordlessly sat down beside him. She crossed her arms against her chest and stared at the table. Finn wondered if she already knew the story or if her agitation was due to being kept in the dark.

Adrianna sat in one of the empty chairs just as Erick stepped inside. His easygoing smile dropped the second he saw Hiccup, who nodded at the remaining two chairs.

"Sit down, guys."

Erick took the seat beside Adrianna while Finn sat on the end opposite of Hiccup. The house was quiet for several minutes. Finn's shoulders were drawn tight like a pulled bowstring. Adrianna rested her hands on her belly while she waited, though she gnawed on her lip nervously.

Hiccup finally broke the silence. "First off, everything in Hjart went well. It was my plan to come home afterwards. But I decided… looking for Brandyn was a better idea."

Erick took Adrianna's hand. It took a moment for her to find her voice. "And?"

"I didn't find him." Hiccup murmured, eyes downcast.

"Okay, so what happened then?" Finn demanded.

"I spoke with Lofn most of the night."

Finn grimaced. "Does she know where he is?"

"No, but she thought he could be on Berserker Island." Hiccup sniffed derisively. "It would certainly make sense."

"Why does it even matter?" Adrianna asked. "I just… I wanted to let this all go. I thought we had." Hiccup finally met her eyes. "Why reopen old wounds?"

Hiccup swallowed. "I know. I did for a long time and… last night I couldn't." He scowled at the table. "Now I'm glad I went looking. Otherwise we'd still be clueless."

"Clueless to what?" Finn asked.

"Just what exactly Brandyn is. And how much of a fool I've been."

Astrid reached out and held Hiccup's arm in comfort. So apparently she did know.

Hiccup crossed his arms against the table and took a moment to look each of them in the eye. "I can't hide this from you three. I can't…" He paused, perhaps a bit fearfully. "I can't protect you from this. But you each have to understand the magnitude of what I'm about to tell you. It's important that this information does not leave this house. No one can know about it, at least not yet. Not even Cliff." This he directed at Erick, who frowned in confusion but nodded. Finn and Adrianna slowly nodded in turn when Hiccup met their eyes.

"Brandyn is heir to the Berserker Tribe." Hiccup said. "His father was Dagur the Deranged."

Silence took over the house for nearly a minute before Finn burst out laughing. The others looked over at him in shock. His shoulders shaking, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face. "Right."

Hiccup stared back at him sternly.

"You can't be serious." Finn dropped his hands. "Dagur died without producing any heirs! He wasn't even married!"

"Marriage has nothing to do with it," Astrid replied stiffly.

"And nobody knew about Brandyn's existence." Hiccup added. "They practically kept him under lock and key."

"B-but-" Finn broke off with another laugh, this time less amused. "This is ridiculous. How do we know that's true? Lofn told you, did she? How do we know she's not lying?"

"Why would she make up something so-"

"Preposterous?" Finn asked cynically.

"She wouldn't." Erick finally spoke. His teal eyes were focused on the wall as he thought. "What would she have to gain by something so huge?"

"What if it's just a claim?" Finn interjected. "She can't prove his birth and Brandyn's dad is dead, or at least we all assumed he's dead. Maybe he's a deadbeat who took off when he was little, and she's a poor single woman who wants to make it rich. And besides that, Sven is the Chief of Berserker Island now. When you won the duel, Berserker Island was yours by right. But you chose a new successor instead. Nobody can just barge in and make proclamations of being royalty if there's no proof!"

"They've kept it a secret this long, they'd have to have proof." Astrid countered.

"Yes, but we don't know that; this is all speculation based on a lonely woman's rambling to freak dad out!"

"Lofn has nothing to gain by lying to me, Finn." Hiccup replied sharply. "She has nothing but her freedom."

The word struck Finn dumb. For a few seconds he only stared. Erick blinked out of his reverie, seemingly confused by the word choice.

"Lofn was a pleasure slave. Her mother was forced to give her up at birth and she has known very little kindness all her life." Hiccup explained calmly. Erick glanced at Adrianna, who'd been quiet this entire time. "Dagur bought her and they had Brandyn a time later. He was seven when Dagur and I dueled." Hiccup sighed, running a hand down his face. "In fact, she said he was present for the duel."

"He  _watched_?" Erick asked incredulously.

Hiccup nodded. "He watched as I killed his dad."

Finn was still shaking his head. "That doesn't explain the last three years. Heck, the last four years. He offered you and Anna a place to stay and rescued you both when you fell into the frozen river. He moved out here and stayed here for this long. What's the point? Did he try to forgive you so he could have peace and then-"

Adrianna suddenly lurched from her chair and leaned into Finn's face. "Brandyn doesn't want  _PEACE_ , Finn. There's nothing peaceful about a scumbag who attacks his girlfriend's friends, threatens their safety, and proceeds to rape her!"

Finn leaned back in his seat with wide eyes. "Okay. You're right; sorry."

Erick rested a gentle hand on her waist but she stepped away, wrapping her arms around her chest. She paced the living room. Hiccup stood but she whirled around. "This was his plan the entire time, wasn't it?"

"I don't know, Addie." Hiccup murmured.

"I'm sure the baby wasn't part of his plan, assuming he had one." Astrid replied. "That would explain why he took off."

"Except he didn't know about the baby when he took off. And besides, Finn has a point." Erick said. "Why go through all this trouble? By all rights he should want nothing to do with Hiccup. Unless-"

"It's all a revenge play." Hiccup finished. "Addie, did Brandyn ever tell you anything about his dad?"

Adrianna sighed. "He told me a long time ago that his dad was a good man. He'd had a disagreement with another man and they fought… the man killed his dad." She curled her lip in disgust. "He said his dad's name was Dirk the Daring."

"It was all a cover…" Finn whispered in shock.

Erick shook his head. "I always knew he was messed up but… it makes so much sense now. Everything he did, alienating Annie from the group, poisoning Cliff to keep her in line, nearly choking me to death… All his violent tendencies. How did we not see it sooner?"

"How did  _we_  not see it sooner?" Hiccup gestured to himself and Astrid. "We're the ones who should have noticed."

Finn huffed, slumping in his seat. "So what? Brandyn wanted to get back at you by having a fake relationship with all of us, especially Anna?"

"Explain Dagur." Adrianna demanded, arms still crossed tight across her chest. "What was he like exactly?"

"It's in the name: Deranged." Hiccup took his seat once more. "He was… resilient, I'll give him that. He was loud, arrogant, controlling, a bit unhinged. Smart in the sense that he could always come up with a plan, but not smart enough to realize the flaws."

Astrid nodded in agreement. "His execution was always off."

"He became a bit… predictable." Hiccup frowned. "Honestly I don't know how he pulled this off."

"What if someone else came up with the plan?" Erick mused. "Was there anyone he trusted?"

Hiccup and Astrid both made faces. "Not really."

"Savage?" Finn asked.

"No, too unpredictable."

"If the man was deranged, why would unpredictable be a bad thing?"

"Dagur was psychotic, but he wasn't insane. He wanted people to obey orders. Anyone who thought for themselves didn't make a good minion." Astrid explained.

"And Savage is one such man?"

"Savage isn't the issue." Hiccup folded his arms. "Lofn told me that Brandyn likes to be the smartest in the room. Well, I can see how he's just like his old man. Dagur wanted to beat me but he never could; he wasn't smart enough."

"So he had a kid and trained him to be smarter than you?" Finn raised a single eyebrow. "I think you're thinking about this a little too hard. The man has been dead for twelve years."

Hiccup scowled. "One way or another, Brandyn is Dagur's son. He got this far without us knowing about it and it could have caused our family irreparable damage."

Adrianna huffed. "What if Brandyn was just another accident baby? That seems to be the trend. It just worked in Dagur's favor. I have a hard time believing he had a kid just to be the Haddocks downfall."

"Don't underestimate this, Addie."

"I'm not, but what's he going to do that he hasn't already done?" Adrianna demanded, throwing her hands up in the air. "I understand why this is a big deal to you, but he's already a criminal. Who cares who his dad is? He should still face justice."

Astrid leaned forward. "Adri, he will face justice but think about this logically. How did Brandyn get so close to us for so long without any of us knowing, any of the  _council_  knowing what his true heritage is? Dagur was our greatest enemy, our biggest threat. We've had peace in our islands ever since he died. We came to terms with Alvin the Treacherous of Outcast Island, and while we aren't on the greatest of terms with Allie, we've never had a serious fight with her. So how does the son of Dagur the Deranged get  _this close_  to us without any of us knowing?"

Even Erick didn't have an argument with that logic.

"I think," Hiccup said. "That Brandyn is a whole lot smarter than we ever gave him credit for."

"I still don't understand why he'd go through all this trouble." Finn muttered.

"To get back at me, Finn. If Dagur had killed me and you'd been forced to watch, don't you think you'd want revenge?"

Finn looked like he'd tasted something bitter. "I don't know. Maybe?" He seemed to reconsider his words and his eyes lowered. "Yes. But still, he offered you guys help, befriended us, moved here, dated Anna all this time. What kind of revenge is that?"

"Getting married would have been a big deal." Adrianna said so quietly they almost missed it.

Erick turned in his seat. "What?"

She shrugged nervously. "Not that we ever talked about marriage, but… I'll admit that I considered spending my life with him. That was around the time that he… he started getting more…" She scowled as if she'd bitten into a lemon. "Forceful."

"So…" Finn drawled. "You think Brandyn's master plan was to get you to fall in love with him, marry him, and possibly move to Berserker Island with him in time to take over the throne again?"

"Yes." Adrianna said. She looked a bit confused, but she spoke with confidence. "And when I didn't give him what he wanted… well. Here we are."

"To think if he'd never been so pushy, he might have succeeded." Erick mused.

"Again, why?" Finn asked. "What would he gain by marrying Anna and taking her to Berserker?"

"She'd have to decide who she was most loyal to." Hiccup said quietly. "Me or her husband."

Adrianna's eyes widened. "But… how could I possibly make that decision?"

"Exactly." Astrid said.

"That's where he underestimated you, Addie." Hiccup said. "You were already loyal to us. You had values and you stuck to them. You weren't willing to give him what he wanted."

Adrianna scowled. "I still dated him like an idiot. I'm the one who invited him to Berk. I still…" She huffed and turned her face away from her family. "I still walked into that barn with him by myself. I should have figured it out. I should have known. Am I just stupid?"

"If you're stupid, we all are." Hiccup said darkly. "He played everyone."

"Adri, you couldn't have known. Who would have guessed he was Dagur's secret child? Up until a few hours ago, the idea would have been absurd." Astrid stood up and walked over, slipping an arm over her daughter's shoulders. "What's done is done. And your dad is right; he did underestimate you."

"What if he tries to come take the baby back? Make him or her the heir? Can he do that?" Adrianna put a protective hand on her belly.

Erick stood up, teal eyes alight. "Not if you get married."

Adrianna's eyes widened. "What?"

"He's right." Hiccup looked between Erick and Adrianna. "If he marries you before the baby is born then as long as Brandyn doesn't show up to contest it, Erick gets all paternal rights by our laws."

Adrianna stared at Erick, her mouth slightly agape. "You… would do that? Marry me in the next few months? I just…" She pressed her hands to her cheeks. "That's so soon."

Smiling at her puckered lips, Erick took her hands in his. "I already promised I wasn't going to leave. This just makes it official."

"Woah, hold on, okay!" Finn finally rose from his seat. "Isn't she a little young? Heck, aren't they  _both_  a little young? I mean Erick's only eighteen and Anna-"

"Is having a baby." Astrid interrupted. "I think the circumstances are already kind of extreme."

"Yeah but-" Finn broke off.

Hiccup gestured patiently. "Go ahead, Finn."

"What if this is all for nothing?" Finn asked. "I'm not trying to disagree with everything you're saying, but this is all conjecture."

"It's not conjecture, it makes sense." Erick said.

"We don't have the facts." Finn stressed. "What are we going to do when we announce the reason we are doing this?"

"We won't announce it." Hiccup said, a gleam returning in his eye. "Here's what we are going to do. Nothing. Barring their marriage, if it's really what we want to do to protect the baby, we aren't going to breathe a word about Brandyn. When he comes forward with his big announcement, he won't have a head start on us."

Erick smiled conspiratorially. "Brandyn will lose all his advantage."

"As long as we keep it quiet, yes." Hiccup agreed.

"But who would tell him?" Finn asked. "Do you think he has like, spies here?"

"At this point I'm not ruling it out."

"Dad, you're totally assuming that our enemies have completely infiltrated our island! They can't have gained that much an advantage, there's no way!"

"Didn't I say it's smart?" Hiccup countered. "How do you fool a strategist, Finn?"

"You have think like a strategist." Erick replied.

"You have to be smarter than a strategist." Hiccup pointed at Erick. "However, there's always a flaw: Lofn was that flaw."

"His own mother." Erick mused.

"But why would she tell you about it?" Adrianna asked. "If it's true, that information is vital for all the tribes, not just Berk."

Hiccup shrugged. "I think she felt that she owed me an explanation for Brandyn's behavior. It certainly clears up a few things."

"Wait…" Finn said suddenly.

"What?"

"That man who came and visited. What was his name…" Finn snapped his fingers. "Roscoe! I ran into them in the woods and Brandyn was telling him… I don't know, something about waiting as long as he tells them to."

Hiccup frowned. "I knew that whole thing was fishy."

"They made their arguments sound so natural." Astrid remarked.

"We've already established that Brandyn is a good actor." Hiccup sighed. "I think there is a lot we don't know. He really had us fooled."

Finn seemed convinced at last. "Well, it doesn't matter. He can come at us with everything he's got because you guys have something that you didn't have with Dagur."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Us." Finn nodded to his sister and Erick. "We aren't little kids anymore. We can fight back now. We don't have to stay home."

"Well…" Adrianna gazed down at her stomach.

Finn waved a hand. "Okay, me and Erick don't have to sit home and wait for news. We can go with you and do whatever we have to to fight back."

"Well let's not rush into things…" Hiccup held up his hands. "I'd prefer peaceful negotiations to fighting."

"That didn't work with Dagur. I don't think it will work with Brandyn."

"No," Hiccup sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You're probably right. But let's not worry about that right now. Let's focus on the family." He looked at Adrianna expectantly.

Astrid turned to Adrianna, rubbing her shoulder. "So, what do you want to do?"

Adrianna swallowed nervously. "I want to talk it all through. Getting married… it's a good idea, even if this is all a hoax and Brandyn isn't Dagur's son. He could still try to claim the baby someday." She looked up at Erick, a nervous smile on her face. "Let's get married."

Erick beamed back.

Finn sighed heavily. "I need a vacation."

"You can vacation when you're dead, Valhalla's not going anywhere." Erick sassed.

Hiccup and Astrid burst into laughter. Adrianna walked into Erick's arms and inhaled deeply. He smelled like leather and cedar wood.

"We'll figure it out." He murmured into her hair.

"One day at a time." She murmured back. Her heart gave a lurch in sudden excitement and nervousness. Erick would most likely plan a proposal! A million questions flew into her head about the possibilities and the things they would need to plan. Where would they live? Would they find a house to move into or build a new one? They'd have to find a place for Lily and Charger to go… Oh gods, she'd need a dress-

Adrianna stepped back and stared up at Erick. He looked down at her quizzically. "How are we even going to manage this before I pop?"

Erick snickered. He opened his mouth to reply when Finn suddenly whined out loud. "That means I have to wear a suit, doesn't it?"

Adrianna rolled her eyes. "We've got bigger fish to fry than your outfit, Finnegan."

"One thing is sure," Astrid grabbed a strand of Finn's hair and tugged. "Haircut." She looked over at her husband, who winced. "Both of you."

Adrianna and Erick chuckled as both male Haddocks whined in argument. Adrianna realized that while yet another mishap had befallen their family, they'd discussed it rationally and had come up with a plan, and within minutes they were laughing. The stress lines had lessened on Hiccup's face and she wondered if Finn was whining intentionally just to lessen the tension.

One thing was sure, if Brandyn was the son of Dagur the Deranged, he was in for a treat. She and Finn were children no longer. They would stand by their parents' sides for whatever he might have planned. And if he so much as took one step in her child's direction, she wouldn't hold back. Brandyn Anderson's days would be numbered.


	26. Looking Forward

_The early morning glow of dawn cast a ghostly white mist across the land. The air was cold and crisp, the ground dry and cracked as the lone woman walked to the edge of the cliff as if in a trance. Her blue eyes, once brilliant with clever happiness, were dull and empty. Her hands and clothes were smeared with the blood of her enemy. She'd had her revenge. Only now, she had nothing left to live for, nothing left to lose. She was alone…_

_She felt nothing except that dull emptiness inside. Her husband had been lost to her for so long… her children taken so cruelly. Looking up into the sky, she murmured, "You always did like free falling…"_

_She let her gaze fall to the swirling mists below. The crags rose from the deep, as if calling her name. A complete look of serenity washed over her face and she spread her arms to the sides._

" _I'm sorry," She breathed before finally she pitched forward._

"ASTRID!" Hiccup jerked awake with a wild thrash.

Astrid startled awake beside him, a knife blade glinting in her palm. "What!" Her blue eyes scanned the darkened room for danger until they fell on him.

Panting, Hiccup hunched over, his mind flashing with bloody images. His entire body was slick with cold sweat, his heart pounding painfully in his chest, even as he tried to push away the rising hysteria. He hadn't had that horrible nightmare in years… Brandyn's secret must have triggered the dark memories of his past.

Astrid had already dropped her knife on the bedside table and moved to his side. "Hiccup, breathe. Breathe." She commanded, hands on his face.

Hiccup nodded shakily, breathing deeply with her. He could feel the sting of tears threatening to take over and he stubbornly clamped his teeth together. He was not going to lose it.

The soft knock sounded at the door before it opened a crack. Finn poked his head in, a look of concern on his face. "You guys okay?"

Hiccup felt a stab of embarrassment that his son was seeing him cower in his wife's arms.

"Yes, everything is fine. Go back to bed, Finn." Astrid replied calmly.

Hiccup heard the door click shut a few moments later.

His wife held him for many long minutes. Finally, she softly broke the silence. "Hiccup?"

"It's okay," He managed, sitting up and wiping the sweat from his face. "I'm okay."

Astrid brushed his hair back. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hiccup swallowed, finally looking up at her. His heartbeat was still wild in his chest. Her blue eyes were so filled with worry and concern, but her calm demeanor gave him courage. He took another deep breath. "It was just you this time."

His wife nodded. "Not the kids?"

"No." Hiccup wiped his forehead again. "You were covered in his blood and you walked to the edge-"

"Okay," Astrid hugged him close. "It's not real. That's never going to happen."

Hiccup buried his face in her neck and inhaled deeply. It was another few minutes before his heart rate finally slowed and his grip on her waist relaxed.

She brushed a hand through his hair again. "Alright?"

"Yes," Hiccup sat back. He wished these stupid dreams would go away forever. He knew they weren't real, that Dagur had died in the duel, that what was done was done and there was no changing it. No matter what Brandyn could possibly scheme, Dagur was dead.

His wife seemed to read his thoughts. "Brandyn can't be worse than he already is, Hiccup." Astrid murmured. "He hurt our daughter in the worst way. There's nothing worse."

"I know but we don't know what he's capable of." Hiccup grabbed his prosthetic and attached it, feeling the need to pace.

Astrid stilled his hands. "You shouldn't lose sleep over it. Finn was right when he said that maybe we are thinking about this too deeply."

"I'd rather overthink it and be wrong." Hiccup rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his face. "It's been twelve years. We haven't had a moment's rest with everything we've been through, but at least I could rest well knowing that part of our lives was done. And now…"

Astrid snuggled into his side, resting her chin in the crook of his shoulder. "Brandyn got too close. I know."

"We have to be ready for anything, Astrid. If anything, for the baby's sake."

"And we'll be ready," Astrid said, meeting his eye. Even after almost twenty years of marriage, he could still get lost in those fierce, deep blue orbs. "Again, Finn was right. We aren't alone in this. We will have all of our friends on our side this time, and Erick will help us make sure Adrianna and the baby are protected. Brandyn won't get close again, and if he so much as enters the harbor he's going to eat my axe."

Hiccup laughed, briefly kissing her temple. "Have I ever told you that you're hot when you're fierce?"

"Well, I do believe you told me so on our first date," Astrid smirked.

"I did?" Hiccup blinked.

"Yup. Right after you realized you were finally taller than me and I slapped you so hard you fell over."

"And proceeded to tell you through the pain that you were the hottest when you are fierce," Hiccup finished with a laugh. He used to be so stupidly awkward.

"Yup," Astrid said with a knowing look. "You said that it was completely intentional, you meant to say that just to make me hit you."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Idiot."

"My idiot." Astrid whispered, pressing her lips to his jawline.

Hiccup felt himself relax, even as her hands wove into his hair and she was kissing him passionately. Even after so long, he truly couldn't get enough of her. Except…

Hiccup pulled away from her lips and placed a finger on her mouth. "Um… Finn is awake."

The light in his wife's eyes died a little. "Oh yeah." He snorted in laughter, at least for a moment until she suddenly stood. He watched curiously as she sauntered to the door, confused as to where she was going. Instead of leaving, she turned the lock and gave him a rogue smile. "I guess you'd better be quiet then."

Hiccup's eyes widened briefly before she was shoving him onto his back and kissing him passionately. He matched her speed with earnest but had to clamp his jaw shut a minute later when her teeth grazed his collarbone.

"Astrid, really-" He whispered hoarsely. She loomed over him with a wild grin. "Don't give me that look, we have two children in the house, one of whom is pregnant so she's likely awake, and the other is most  _definitely_  awake-"

Astrid rested a finger on his lips, halting his chatter. His heart was pounding at the look she was giving him and she leaned closer. "Stop talking."

When she kissed him again, it was slower and deeper. She held his face in her hands so gently that he couldn't help but melt into the kiss. It reminded him of the times when they were teenagers and their relationship was so new. She'd always initiated their kisses back then. It wasn't until he'd grown a backbone at a solid seventeen that he'd kissed her first.

Yet it still amazed him after all this time that she had so much control over him. Just as her passion and strength had attracted him to her, it was her calm control that kept him sane. She was his first support when he'd befriended Toothless. To this day, she was his right arm, his closest companion, and he knew without a shadow of a doubt she'd do anything for him.

Gently, he pulled the leather tie out of her hair and pushed his hands through her thick blonde hair. Astrid pulled back, panting slightly. "D-don't you have a meeting in the morning?"

Hiccup paused, his mind buzzing. "Huh?"

"What time is your meeting?"

"Uh…" Hiccup rubbed his face. "Ten?"

"Oh, not so early then." She then proceeded to yank on his shirt.

Hiccup laughed, and was promptly shushed. "Crazy woman."

"We're not quite there yet." Astrid said with a glint in her eye.

Hiccup sat up and pulled his shirt over his head. No sooner had he tossed it aside that she was pushing him onto his back again, kissing him earnestly. It occurred to him that perhaps she was doing this, in part, to take his mind off the nightmare.

The thought made him pause and his hands stilled on her back. Astrid noticed his sudden tension and paused. "What?"

He stared into her pale face, a ghostly white from the moonlight outside. Her blue eyes were so dark at night. He slid a finger across her brow to push her hair aside.

"I'll never let that happen to you, Astrid. You're going to be old and grey, watching all of our grandbabies run around your ankles. I'll make sure you're never alone."

Astrid simpered. "Is that what you're worried about?"

"Seeing that empty look in your eyes…" Hiccup closed his eyes. "I never want to see that happen."

"Hiccup, look at me."

Hiccup obeyed and saw her eyes lit with passion.

"That's  _not_  going to happen. I will never be so far gone that I'll give up-"

"What if you had none of us left?"

"Don't you dare." Astrid said quietly. "You know better than that, Hiccup, so don't you dare."

Hiccup sighed and closed his eyes again. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"You worry too much about the past and the future. You have to let it go." Astrid ran a hand down the length of his chest. "You're becoming a control freak."

"It's difficult to stop."

"I know, it's awful hard to get you to relax anymore," Astrid replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Really?" Hiccup asked. Astrid gave him an incredulous look, and he realized she was still straddling half his body. "Oh."

Astrid snorted and rubbed her face. "Oh forget it. Let's go back to bed."

"No." Hiccup pouted, wrapping his arms around her waist and locking his hands.

His wife gave him a glare. "You're the one who killed the mood."

"Yes, but you're so fierce and beautiful, I'm sure it won't take much." Hiccup said chastely.

"And you're the one who's all embarrassed because there are children in the house. Wouldn't be the first time."

"And I honest to gods hope they're both sleeping or they'll never look us in the eye again."

"Correction: they'll never look you in the eye again. You're so awkward."

"I am a manly man."

"Now they really won't look you in the eye again."

"Ugh."

Astrid laughed, pressing her lips to his forehead. "Dork."

"Your dork." Hiccup whispered.

With her so conveniently in his arms, it didn't take much to flip them over. Astrid gave a squeak of surprise and Hiccup pressed a finger to her lips. "Shh."

Astrid gave him a challenging smile and his heart fluttered. This woman was going to be the death of him someday.

* * *

As the weeks went by and the summer gave way to chilly fall temperatures, the village was a non-stop bustle of activity. Frost began to coat the ground in the early mornings, which spurred the people into harvest season.

The Chief had organized the men and women and teenagers into various groups, each responsible for bringing in their store of fruits, vegetables, and fish. Hunting trips would be organized on other days to bring in boar and deer. Finn himself had been responsible for assisting the fishery with Zap, but after six long hours of weathering the chilly waters, Hiccup made a switch of teams and they were allowed to land at last.

While Zap took a short nap in the sun, Finn took a break with some fresh cider from Ben the Baker. He chatted with the old man for nearly ten minutes before he finally broke away to rejoin the festivities.

Of course, many of the teenagers had much to complain about. They whined about the bitter wind sweeping in from the oceanfront, bemoaning their lack of warm clothes. Berk had taken on a sudden chill that they weren't prepared for; their thick wool coats were still packed away deep in their trunks and closets.

Finn didn't mind. It had been so long since he'd worked this hard that he invited the strain of his muscles and the chilly wind kept him cool. They had a long evening of festivities ahead and he didn't want to fly home to wash up first.

As he dumped another bucket of corn into a wagon, he heard giggling. He looked over to see a gaggle of young girls watching him nearby as they nursed mugs of steaming cider. Finn gave them a wry grin and turned away, reveling in their hushed, excited chatter.

"Quite the ladies man, aren't you?"

Finn rolled his eyes as Cliff trotted to his side and joined the line with him. "You're one to talk."

Cliff grinned. "Yes, I admit that Taryn can't resist all this," He gestured down to his gangly self. "But I don't have the eyes of every single girl on Berk."

Finn winced. "Not  _every_  girl."

"Pretty much." Erick stepped in, wiping his forehead on his sleeve. His hair was curling at the ends with sweat. "You can't go very far without the girls all looking at you."

"And the grin proves it!" Cliff laughed.

Finn slapped his friend on the shoulder, trying to ignore his teasing.

"So which one suits your fancy?" Cliff asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"Huh?" Finn asked. "Which girl?"

"Well yeah, he's not talking about sweet buns." Erick said sarcastically.

"Or am I?" Cliff waggled his eyebrows again.

Erick's eyes widened. "Cliff!"

"I'm kidding, I'm k- OOF!" Cliff flopped onto his back when Finn pushed him. He sat up in the dirt and grinning, pointed up the line. "You still haven't asked Inga!"

"Would you shut up!" Finn hauled Cliff back to his feet. "People are listening!"

"Oh so you do care about all those lovestruck girls!"

"I care about everyone's opinions, Cliff."

"Probably a little too much if your lack of motivation is any proof." Erick smirked.

Finn sighed. He looked up the line to see Inga talking to Helga, her long braided hair hanging down her back.

"Hey, you promised you'd talk to her if I talked to Clyde." Cliff poked him in the arm. "That was weeks ago, bro."

"I'm aware." Finn replied, stepping forward as the line moved.

"Well what are you waiting for?"

Erick picked a rock out of his prosthetic. "The gods don't typically send down a ray of sunlight to let you know when is the appropriate time. Sometimes you just have to man up and do it."

"What if I don't  _want_  to do it?" Finn asked in irritation.

"Because you don't like her that way?" Erick asked. "Or because you're afraid?"

Finn groaned heavily. He was tired of going around in circles about this. If he was so unsure then maybe he shouldn't bother.

"Bruh, what's the worst that could happen?" Cliff asked.

"Never," Finn turned to him. "Ask me what's the worst that could happen. You don't know everything about me, guys." He stepped away again. "I know what I'm doing."

"Right," Erick shrugged. "Absolutely nothing."

Finn glared at him but just then his name was called.

They turned to see Hiccup trotting up the line toward them, Toothless on his heels. "I need you and Zap for something."

Finn dropped his bin into Cliff's and joined his dad back down the hill, eager for a distraction. He didn't need Erick's rude opinions; he was trying to be smart about his decisions. There was nothing wrong with thinking things through. Being a thinker himself, he'd have thought Erick would appreciate that.

Annoyed, Finn pushed his swarming thoughts about the guys and Inga away and focused on his dad's words.

"They just need an extra boost." He was saying, waving toward the harbor as a lone ship slowly moved toward the docks. "I don't think they planned to catch that many fish."

"Yeah I'll help."

Hiccup slapped his shoulder. "Thanks, kiddo. I'll be down there in a few minutes."

Finn ran down the rest of the hill to find Zap. He ignored the whispers and giggles of the same group of girls as he ran past. He always figured at some point people would start becoming more vocal about his relationships and marriage, being the future chief and all. But he was a little disappointed to realize that he wasn't in the least bit prepared for it.

He found Zap still snoozing in the dirt where he'd left her, only now the patch of sunlight had moved away so she was lying in the shade.

"Zap! Come on, fatty, we've gotta go."

Zap opened an eye and growled at him softly.

Finn rolled his eyes. "Zap, come on. They need us in the harbor."

Zap rolled over and covered her face with a shimmering wing.

"You're not even in the sunlight!" Finn huffed.

"I think she's mad because you called her a fatty." A female voice said behind him.

Finn whipped around to see Inga standing nearby, a basket in her hands. He looked up the hill to see the line minus one Inga.

He must have looked confused because she said, "Mara sent me a Terror. She needs me at the healers."

"Oh." He replied with a stiff nod.

Inga raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine."

"Okay… because you're acting weird."

Finn dry swallowed. He wasn't even sure why he was acting so skittish all of a sudden. Maybe the guys pressuring him to ask her out all the time was finally getting to him.

"Just tired I guess." He finally replied.

Her healer training must have kicked in because she stepped forward. "Is it your side?"

Finn stepped back, frowning. "No. I'm fine."

Inga stopped and they both stood there awkwardly. Finn felt the back of his neck burning.

"Okay," Inga finally said in an unsure tone. "I have to go, Mara's waiting for me." She paused again before turning away. "Bye, Finn."

Finn watched her walk away, feeling guilty for he didn't know what. She looked so disappointed. Why was he feeling so standoffish all of a sudden? He'd never felt that way with Inga before…

Zap sat up beside him and bumped his shoulder with her nose. "Oh don't you start too."

The Shockjaw nipped at his sleeve, her long sinuous tail wagging in the dirt.

Finn huffed. "Oh whatever. Come on, they're waiting for us." He mounted his dragon and steered her toward the harbor. Had he been looking the other way, he would have seen Inga's unsure blue eyes watching him fly away from the streets below.

* * *

At the end of a long day, the villagers finally congregated in the Great Hall. There was still much work to be done, but as per tradition, Berk's best cooks and their wives gathered at the Hall with the best of the stores and prepared a huge celebratory meal in honor of the plentiful harvest.

Tables were covered with countless dishes and platters, the drink stand had some of the finest meads and wines and other beverages, and Grandma Ingermann and her girls had pulled out all the stops: The dessert table was bursting with tasty treats.

The Hall was filled with jovial laughter and even the stingiest of Berk's members seemed to have forgotten to scowl. Erick was able to steer Adrianna to a comfortable table near a warm fire without receiving any unwelcome looks or comments. Up to this point, she'd made it a habit to ignore rude people. However, he could still see the relief in her eyes that for one night, she didn't have to make a conscious effort. Today was a special day, one they'd enjoyed with every other Hooligan. They didn't want it tainted more than anyone else it seemed.

Adrianna had been badgering him with endless questions since he picked her up from her house. Even now, she hadn't stopped to take a breath as she sat down at the secluded table. Usually he didn't mind, but he knew it was nervous stress.

"My dad said we can look in the west side of the village to build a house," she was saying, looking up at him. "But I don't know if you want to wait until spring to start building-"

"The sooner the better, I expect." Erick replied. "You'll be having the baby before spring."

"Yes but it's already starting to get cold out and I'd really rather you weren't building a foundation and the roof in the snow and ice."

"I won't be alone; Finn and Cliff volunteered to help, and I'm sure there will be others."

"Yeah but-"

"Annie." Erick bent down and held her shoulders. "Relax. We'll figure it out. Tonight let's just take a break, okay?"

Adrianna sighed heavily. "Okay."

Erick pecked her forehead before straightening again. "I'm going to get us some food and drinks."

"I can help-" Adrianna started to stand.

"No it's okay, I've got it!" Erick turned towards the nearest line.

"I'm still fully capable." She grumbled, sitting back down.

He turned a knowing look over his shoulder before stepping in line. He lost sight of her with one of the supporting pillars in the way, but was relieved to see Cliff and Taryn joining her. Within minutes he had two full plates of food balanced on top of a couple of cups filled to the brim with cider. His girlfriend and friends were deep in conversation when he returned.

"Wow, bro," Cliff blinked in amazement. "How'd you manage to carry all that without spilling?"

Erick held up the cups, on top of which the full plates were balancing. "I have impeccable balancing skills."

"Now if you can do that on a tight rope, you'll fit right in at a circus!" Cliff cheered.

Taryn snorted as she tore a roll in half. "He'd make a good clown."

Erick frowned as he gave Adrianna one of the plates and cups. "Cliff would make a better clown."

"Oh sure, we all know that I'd be the fun, loving, troublemaking clown." Cliff replied, pausing to take a long drink of cider. "You'd be the sad, mopey clown."

"Aw come on, he's adorable!" Adrianna pinched his cheek playfully and Erick's scowl deepened.

"See? Positively mopey." Cliff chuckled.

Erick filled his spoon with a large dollop of mashed potatoes and flicked the spoon toward Cliff, effectively spattering his face and shirt.

Cliff yelped. "Hey! Stop that." He quickly wiped his face with a napkin. "Are you trying to get me busted? Gotta make a good impression."

"Oh please," Taryn scoffed. "After last night, I think my parents are well aware of your clumsiness."

"Oh?" Adrianna asked.

"No, no," Cliff pointed at Erick. "This has nothing to do with me: This is all him."

"What horrors did Cliffie bestow on the Brands this time?" Erick asked.

"Well-"

"No, Taryn!" Cliff shushed her wildly. "Resist the temptation!"

"He was helping my mom set the food on the table for dinner-"

"Do not give in to his wicked wiles!"

"And he might have spilled the gravy in his haste."

"Oh dear." Adrianna grinned.

"Oh that's not all," Taryn grinned, leaning away from Cliff's fork full of stuffing that was being forced toward her mouth. "He slid through the gravy, fell onto the table, flipped it over  _completely_ -"

"Oh my gods." Erick buried his face in his hand, fork dangling beside his face.

"He emerged with gravy and potatoes in his hair and the rolls had gone flying!" Taryn and Adrianna were laughing hard while the boys had covered their faces in embarrassment. "It was okay though! It was okay. I thought my parents were going to be so upset, but they were nearly crying with laughter."

"Even your dad?" Erick asked with a grin.

"Oh yeah." Taryn nodded, elbowing her furiously blushing boyfriend. "The look on Cliff's face as he went down was just too priceless. It was like he was begging the gods to spare him, ' _Nooo please NOOOOOO!'_ "

Erick and Adrianna's laughter was echoing with the hilarious mental image.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up." Cliff intoned.

Taryn tucked her hand around his arm and slid closer to him on the bench before returning to her food. Cliff's embarrassment gave way to a goofy grin. Erick laughed into his cider at the look. His bruh's eyes narrowed and he kicked him under the table.

Erick's stump flared and he yelped, jolting in his seat. Adrianna's hand flew to his arm as Cliff's eyes widened in horror. "Oh gods, Erick- I'm sorry!"

"It's okay! It's okay," Erick shook his head, stretching out his knee. The pain ebbed away within a minute. "I'm okay."

Cliff looked like he wanted to kick himself. "Ahh I'm sorry…"

"Dude, it's okay; don't make me throw more potatoes at you." Erick lifted his spoon for emphasis. "I'm fine, honest."

Cliff sighed, shooting Taryn a furtive glance. "Okay."

Adrianna squeezed Erick's arm, catching his attention. He gave her a smile, conveying that yes, he really  _was_  fine. His stump wasn't even throbbing. Luckily the kick had been playful and hadn't caused very much pain. Adrianna seemed to read his thoughts and went back to her food without comment.

* * *

Finn ambled through the rows upon rows of tables, enjoying the festivities but still thinking about some of the day's work. When he'd met the ship out in the harbor for example, he and Zap had slowly but surely made their way toward the docks, taking a few large nets filled to the brim.

When the ship had finally docked, the men and women unloaded the fish and took it into the fishery for cleaning. Hiccup and Toothless were watching from the air, nodding in approval when a shout sounded on the deck. Finn had turned just in time to see one side of a net's rope slipped loose of its knot, plunging many fish back into the ocean.

In a flash, his dad and Toothless had twisted and seamlessly dived headfirst into the water. They'd reemerged a few moments later, the rope in Hiccup's hands. Together with a few men, they'd managed to tie the net back together. Overall it hadn't been a very big deal, albeit inconvenient they'd lost some of the fish. But Finn couldn't get the dive out of his mind.

Toothless, being a thin species of dragon of the Strike Class, could dive into water pretty easily. Of course, he always needed Hiccup with him because without the flying mechanism and prosthetic he could drown. Zap, however, was a water dragon. He couldn't help but wonder if they could dive into the water without breaking Finn's neck. How did his dad do it?

He decided to ask when he saw his dad talking amicably to an elderly gentleman, who was missing a few teeth. Finn stayed back, willing to wait until their conversation ended, but the old man caught sight of him lurking.

"Oy there, Finny! How's it goin' there, laddie?"

Hiccup turned, broad smirk on his face at the nickname.

Finn shot his dad a short look as he came closer. "Good, sir; yourself?"

"Sir?" The old man chortled, slapping Finn's shoulder with surprising strength. "Dunno 'bout that, but I'm doin' mighty fine! I was jus' tellin' your ole pop that he should be readying his retirement soon, eh? Grandbaby on the way an' all, heh heh." He nudged Hiccup in the ribs with a knobbly elbow.

Hiccup chuckled. "While that's true, Angus, I'm not sure I'm ready to retire just yet. I'm not that old."

"Naw but he's gettin' up in age and all!" Angus pointed at Finn with a toothy grin. "Pretty soon he'll be gettin' married and havin' his own lil' tykes runnin' around!"

Finn coughed uncomfortably. He was definitely not ready for that just yet.

His dad looked like he was doing everything he could not to laugh. "Someday, Angus. I think we're taking it a little slow."

Finn nodded in agreement.

"Slow?" Angus' white eyebrows shot into his receding hairline. "Now see here, Chief, these youngins' are getting married a bit late, don't ya think? Why, my Betsie and I, we were a fresh sixteen when we was married! Had the ceremonial weddin' and consummation and ya know what? She was with child within a fortnight, I tell ya! Though we aren't the only couple who had honeymoon babies, eh?" Angus chuckled and elbowed Hiccup in the ribs again.

Finn could feel his neck burning. He sorely wished he had not walked in on this conversation.

Hiccup seemed be thinking the same thing. It was his turn to clear his throat awkwardly.

"You're at the ripe age o' seventeen, Finny boy, you find yourself a pretty girl and settle down quick, eh?" Angus continued, shrugging his eyebrows suggestively. "Gonna need ourselves another heir before long-"

"Angus, you old bag o' bones!"

"Oh, that'll be Betsie!" Angus grinned.

A tiny woman with frizzy white hair bustled up to them. "Are you bothering the Chief again?"

"Oh, no bother at all, Betsie."

Finn barely kept himself from giving his father an incredulous look.

"No need to be polite, Chief, I can see the horror in your son's eyes." Betsie's eyes twinkled. "I think I'll take this one home before he finds the mead." As they passed arm in arm, the old woman stopped and patted Finn on the arm. "Don't you mind him, dearie, times have changed. You take your time in finding the right girl. You're young; enjoy it." She winked and bustled her toothy husband away.

The Haddock men stood there for a moment before Finn snorted and Hiccup erupted into barely restrained laughs.

"Finn, your face-"

"I don't ever,  _EVER_  want to walk in on your conversations again!"

"The last bit of advice wasn't so bad though, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Finn sighed, glancing back at the old couple. "Sweet old Betsie smoothed things over."

His dad laughed again. "Sorry about Angus, though. He's a bit of an old soul. Harmless but he's stuck in the old, traditional ways."

"I noticed." Finn turned and followed his dad as they weaved their way through the crowd. "Dad. Did anyone start badgering you about marriage at seventeen?"

"Not really. Well," Hiccup cast him a short look. "My dad. He wanted grandbabies."

Finn made a face. "I can't imagine having kids anytime soon."

"Neither did I, kiddo, that's why I waited." Hiccup turned when a man stuck out his hand and wished him a Happy Harvest. The Chief nodded and continued walking with Finn. "Granted, I waited a while."

"I mean, twenty… That's not too far from seventeen." Finn could feel his dad watching him.

"Any girl on your mind?"

Finn shrugged. He looked right at Inga (because of course he knew where she was) and quickly looked away.

"Why are you hesitating?" Hiccup asked calmly.

"I don't even know," Finn murmured. They stopped and watched Inga and Alton and a few other teens toss marshmallows into the air and trying to catch them in their mouths. "I want to be friends with her."

"That's a key element."

"But I don't know if I want to pursue more than that. She's a lot younger than me and… something just doesn't feel right about it. But I don't know what that is."

Hiccup mulled on his words for a minute before replying, "Then just be her friend for now, Finn. Everyone changes with age; maybe she's just not ready yet."

Finn sighed through his nose, trying not to be cynical. "Except people seem to bring girls up to me a lot these days."

"Kiddo, don't worry about what the village thinks. I didn't teach you to be aware of their constant watch so you'd be paranoid." Hiccup said. "Just be yourself, be her friend, and let time take it's course. Maybe you'll be more confident with that direction, or maybe not; maybe something completely different will happen. What about Helga?"

"Bones?" Finn snorted, giving his dad an amused look. "Nah. That one's in the books."

"I never know with you kids."

"Cliff and Taryn are getting on though."

"I daresay I played a key role in getting them together."

"Huh?" Finn whirled. His dad's eyes were twinkling. "What did you do?"

"Nothing at all, just convinced Clyde to give him a shot. Looks like he took my advice."

"Meddler." Finn grinned.

"It's called matchmaking, Finn," Hiccup crossed his arms with a smirk. "When you're older, you'll find it quite entertaining."

"Please, I'll have more important things to do than spy on the teenagers and their sad love stories."

"Yes, you'll be writing their vows for the future weddings."

"Joy."

Hiccup snickered. "Chiefing isn't all hard work. Sometimes you get to sit in the office or fly for a few hours."

"Which reminds me," Finn suddenly said, remembering the real reason he'd approached his dad. "I was going to ask you about that dive you and Toothless did."

"Dive?" Hiccup's brow furrowed in thought. "Oh yeah, at the docks."

"Yeah. How'd you learn to do that without breaking your neck?"

Hiccup winced as if he'd remembered something painful. "The key is to dive straight down, forehead to saddle."

"That's it?" Finn asked.

"No." Hiccup watched him silently for a minute. "It takes a lot of practice and I don't want you doing it without me there. If you did break your neck, your mother would kill me."

"You kidding me?" Finn smirked. "The entire village would revolt; they all want me to get married and start having kids."

Hiccup snorted but said seriously, "I can teach you to do it if you really want. Who knows when you might need to. Besides, Zap being Tidal Class and all, it might work a lot better for you than us."

Finn looked around. "Where is Toothless?"

His dad's eyes fluttered in a half eyeroll. "He found the mead."

"Uh oh." Finn grinned, looking towards the drink station. Sure enough, one useless black reptile was currently passed out beside three empty barrels. "Ohhh he's going to be cranky tomorrow."

"Yup. Luckily, I plan to sleep in myself." Hiccup said. "We did well today; everything is on schedule. We all deserve a break."

Finn watched his dad survey the village. He'd already been awake last night when his dad had shouted. Finn had been sure that someone had broken in and was attacking his parents with the terror in his dad's voice. But it had only been a nightmare.

 _Only a nightmare_ , Finn scoffed to himself. He knew what it was like to have nightmares, to relive frightening moments of your life in the subconscious and unable to make it stop. Thankfully his nightmares had stopped a while ago. He hadn't suffered from sleep loss for quite some time. Yet he wondered what exactly it was that his dad had dreamed, that he'd shouted Astrid's name with such terror?

"What, kiddo?"

Finn flinched. So lost in thought as he was, he hadn't realized he'd been staring. "Nothing."

"What are you worried about, Finn?"

An odd question. He forgot sometimes how in tune his dad could be. He debated making something up or saying nothing again. But in the end, he decided honesty was better. "You."

Hiccup frowned in confusion and looked over at him.

"About last night, I mean." Finn added.

"Oh." Hiccup said, looking away. He didn't elaborate.

Finn hadn't thought it through; he just asked it. "What did you dream?"

His dad looked at the ground, arms still crossed tightly across his chest. Clearly he didn't want to talk about it.

"Nevermind."

"Your mom dying."

Finn stared at him, horrorstruck. His dad was already staring back at him.

"I died in the duel. She'd already lost you and Addie." Hiccup seemed to stare past him. "So she killed him… and then herself." He blinked and locked eyes with Finn again.

Finn swallowed, feeling awkward. He couldn't imagine having a nightmare like that, and he himself had had some horrible dreams. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"It's okay, Finn. You're no stranger to pain." Hiccup said quietly.

Finn saw the flash of self-loathing in his dad's eyes. He knew what thoughts were swirling in his head: That Finn's horrible past was his fault. That Adrianna had suffered just as much, and that too had been his fault. That Brandyn had hurt her and hidden his true identity from them. That he hadn't figured it out sooner.

Looking for something to change the subject, Finn noticed Tuffnut crouched over Toothless near the drink station. "Um, dad… I think Tuffnut is messing with your saddle."

Hiccup snapped to attention, eyes narrowed. "Oh no, you don't." He stalked forward and made his way through the crowd. Finn watched in amusement as his dad walked up to Tuffnut, stood behind him with arms crossed and his fake leg bobbing impatiently against the stone floor. Tuffnut finished his scheme with a toothy grin, stood and turned to walk away, and got a close up view of the Chief's dangerously narrowed green eyes.

"WHAAA!" Tuffnut floundered backwards, arms flailing before he tripped over Toothless' prone body. He crashed into the drink stand, which sent cups and tins of liquid flying in all directions. A loud chicken screech could be heard from the scuffle and many people joined Finn in laughing at the ridiculous scene. Tuffnut sat up with a pitcher on his head and his beloved chicken flapped on top of it, pecking at the tin every few seconds.

"Ow ow! Chicken! I demand you desist at once! Ow!" Tuffnut's voice echoed through the tin.

"Serves you right, Tuff," Hiccup said over the loud  _pings_  emitting from the tin. "Karma is sweet when you mess with the Chief's saddle."

"I was merely leaving you a birthday present, Chief! Obviously."  _PING_  "Ow! Chicken!"

"Yeah, because my birthday is totally on Harvest Day." Hiccup's voice dripped with sarcasm, earning a few more chuckles from the crowd.

"Aha! Told ya, sis, his birthday is totally-"  _PING_  "Agh!" Tuffnut flailed his arms to try and catch his chicken. He grabbed the bird in his hands and began to scold it before a boot connected with the bucket with a large  _WHAM_!

Even Finn flinched. Tuffnut crumpled to the side moaning. Everyone turned to see Ruffnut beaming, one boot missing. "His birthday is definitely  _NOT_  on Harvest Day."

"Yes, thank you, Ruffnut." Hiccup drawled. "Would you please take your brother out of the middle of the aisle?"

"With pleasure." Ruffnut stuffed her foot back into her boot and grabbed her brother by the ankles. She gave a breathy chortle as she began to drag him away, still moaning with the bucket scraping against the stone floor as they went.

Finn shook his head in disbelief. He wondered what it must have been like to grow up with those two. Looking up at his dad running a heavy hand through his hair, he then considered if his dad might be wondering how these two were still acting this way after twenty long years.

* * *

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup turned around just in time to see a blond head bobbing up and down through the crowd, making its way toward him in the most polite way possible, given that it required quite a lot of pushing and shoving. Hiccup waited until the blond caught up to him, revealing Erick.

"Hiccup, hi." Erick said, looking a bit tired. "Sorry, I didn't want to miss you and I saw you were leaving."

"Just to go home." Hiccup said with a small smile. "Were you coming to walk me there? I mean Toothless has nothing on you as a fierce protector."

"Ha, ha." Erick deadpanned. "You're hilarious, Hiccup. Seeing as he's passed out inside from mead overdose-"

"You saw that?"

"Oh yeah." Erick grinned. "At any rate you should travel around with that act."

"Oh if I weren't the chief of the Hooligans and a parent, I'd probably have traveled a lot more. Well, not that I didn't before." Hiccup said, making his way out into the chilly exterior of the Great Hall, Erick at his heels. "Ah, that's better. I love our people but not all crammed together."

"You can say that again." Erick agreed, falling in step with the slightly taller chief.

The sun's final rays were just sinking beneath the horizon and the torches were lit all around them. There was something very nice about walking through Berk at this time of year. Both Hiccup and Erick surveyed the village for a moment from their elevated height before descending the staircase.

"So umm… I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Aww, you didn't want to walk with me just to keep me company?" Hiccup quipped, grinning at Erick.

"Oh no, it's not… I didn't mean it like that." Erick felt a bit of heat rise to his face despite the autumn chill. "I don't have an agenda, I just… we haven't talked about… about Annie yet. Not since we found out about B- about the complicated… stuff."

"You can say his name, Erick." Hiccup sighed. "I'm not going to strangle the nearest living thing at the sound of it."

Erick rubbed his neck. "That's a relief."

"But you're right." Hiccup said, taking the familiar turn toward his own house. "We do need to talk about my daughter."

"Well… I know we decided to get married kind of suddenly but I meant what I said. I think it's a good idea and we can protect the baby better this way."

Hiccup nodded in agreement. Erick stopped suddenly with a soft hiss of frustration and picked a few loose pebbles out of his prosthetic. Hiccup paused him with a hand on his shoulder. "You've been doing that a lot lately. Let me see the bottom."

Erick held onto a nearby barrel and drew his leg back. Hiccup noticed the bottom of his prosthetic was acquiring a few jagged edges.

"Let's run into the forge real quick, I can smooth that out." Hiccup gestured him forward. "Unless you have something else going on?"

His future son-in-law shook his hair. "No, I was just going home. Finn's taking Annie home so I could talk to you."

"Good," Hiccup nodded, leading the way toward the forge. "This way we can talk the future while I work."

Lighting the forge only took a moment; clearly Gobber and Vidar had already closed up shop for the day. Erick hopped onto a cleared desk and watched as Hiccup discarded his leather gear and found the necessary tools he'd need.

"Alright, let's see this." Hiccup gestured to Erick's right leg.

The teenager unclipped his prosthetic and handed it over. Hiccup inspected the jagged edges and easily began to shave down the metal with the grindstone.

"Easy fix then?" Erick asked.

"Yes," Hiccup replied, inspecting the metal again. "But I think you may need to upgrade." He tapped his own prosthetic against the table leg.

"Really?"

Hiccup could hear the hidden excitement in his voice. Not many people knew about all the ingenious parts of his prosthetic; in fact, many didn't care. Older folk were content with much simpler methods of prosthetics. Over the years of flying and being an amputee, Hiccup found his prosthetic to be just as useful a tool as his hands.

That being said, Erick was cut from the same material as him. He was smart and could appreciate the practical sides of having a prosthetic that did more than help him walk. A sudden idea burst into his brain and he had to keep the excitement off his face as he said, "I think it will do you some good to have a prosthetic that won't fall apart easily."

"Agreed," Erick chuckled.

A few more tweaks on the metal and Hiccup handed the prosthetic back. "How does that feel?"

Erick reattached it and walked around the forge, surveying the feel and various movements. Hiccup watched to see any flaws. Finally, Erick said, "Good! Thanks, Hiccup."

"No problem. I know it's a pain to deal with, but anytime it needs a tune up just let me or Gobber know."

"Okay."

Hiccup quickly doused the forge and grabbed his jacket, following Erick out the door. As he locked up the doors once again, he said, "So, what's the plan for a house then?"

"Okay," Erick began. "So we were considering building but I'm not exactly sure if I have enough money saved up to do that yet. I might need another year to save."

"We can help, Er-"

"No!" Erick said in a strict voice. "We're getting enough criticism from people, I don't want to hear about how we're mooching off the Chief." Hiccup scowled. "That's not to say we wouldn't be grateful." Erick added quickly. "I just want to do it right."

"I understand," Hiccup said, nodded at a guard as he strode past. They could see many lamplights dousing from inside multiple windows as they walked. "So if you needed to wait another year to build the house you want, where are you going to live?"

"Well, that's what I've been trying to figure out," Erick sighed.

"You could live at our house," Hiccup thought. "Except that's exactly ideal for your newly married life."

"Yeah…" Erick blushed.

Hiccup fought back a smirk. He wouldn't have wanted Astrid to move into his father's house either after their wedding. He thought for another moment. "Well, here's an idea: What if we knock out that wall between Addie and Finn's rooms, and we make another master room with a baby room on the side, at least for now?"

Erick blinked. "And where would Finn go? Please don't say the barn loft, he'd never forgive me-"

"He could move in with Cliff."

Erick blinked again and chortled. "I think he'd take the loft."

"It would be good for him."

"Hiccup, be reasonable," Erick shook his head. "We can't kick Finn out just for mine and Annie's convenience!"

Hiccup sighed. "It's not ideal, no."

Erick's house he shared with Cliff came into view at last and they paused in front of it, both deep in thought. Finally, Erick snapped his fingers. "Unless…"

"Unless?" Hiccup asked.

The blond looked unsure he even wanted to voice his thought. "Well, what if me and Addie lived here until we could build a house?"

Hiccup considered this. "And where would Cliff go?"

Erick winced. "I don't know. I wouldn't want to make him go back to his parents'; he's enjoying the freedom."

"Maybe…" Hiccup mused, thinking fast. It would be very odd, different...

"Maybe what?"

The Chief shrugged. "Maybe he can move in with us. We'll have an extra room."

"Gods, Finn is  _really_  going to hate us."

Hiccup laughed. "I'll talk to Astrid about it before we mention it to Addie and Finn."

"Okay," Erick stretched, looking toward the bridge, beyond which lay the Haddock house. "Well, more harvest stuff tomorrow."

"Yep. Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, Erick."

"Night, Chief."

Hiccup left the little house, considering this little plan further as he crossed the bridge and his own house came into view. He chuckled to himself, wondering what Finn would say about having a little brother in the house?


	27. Confessions

"Alright Misters one and two, can either of you cut the mystery and intrigue and please explain where we're going?"

Erick rolled his eyes. "For the last time, Finn, would you just be patient?"

"She's not here!" Finn said impetuously. "Even if she was nearby, we could probably walk faster and lose her-"

"Don't make fun of your sister." Hiccup warned. "She's-"

"Pregnant!" Finn intoned. "Point is, you two have dragged me all the way out here without explaining why, it's cold and-" He paused, scowling at the building where they were heading. "And you're making me go back in there? You realize I spent a good ten hours in the forge today?"

Hiccup came to a halt and gave his son a flat stare. Erick unlocked the forge door, glancing in amusement over his shoulder. After a swift unspoken argument with his dad, Finn pursed his lips and followed him inside.

Erick closed the door and sighed anxiously.

"Alright, let's see it." Hiccup said, crossing his arms.

Erick withdrew a small leather bag from an inner pocket of his jacket. Untying it, he carefully tipped it the contents into his palm: A single purple diamond.

The Haddocks eyebrows both jumped and Finn whistled. "Nice rock."

"Yeah," Erick gulped. "It cost a lot so I haven't let it out of my sight."

"Really? How much?"

Hiccup made a face. "Rude, Finn. May I?" Erick handed the jewel to the Chief, who inspected it with a careful eye. "Well, what would you like to do with it?"

"I'm glad you asked," Erick said excitedly, pulling a notebook out of another pocket. "I made a couple sketches. But," He winced, flipping pages and glancing up at Hiccup. "I'm not as good of a drawer as-"

"Nonsense, I've seen your drawings. Let's see." Hiccup stepped to his side to peer over his shoulder. Finn joined his other side to see the image.

Erick waited nervously as they both looked at the crude drawing. Finn made a face. "Blegh, it's definitely her. Did I ever mention you're the sappiest of them all?'

"And you're the sassiest of them all, Finn."

"Thanks!"

"She'll love this, Erick." Hiccup said, ignoring their banter.

Erick brightened. "You can make it?"

"It'll take a little time, but yes, I think we can do this no problem."

"Great!" Erick exclaimed, a weight lifting off his shoulders that he hadn't realized was there. He loved his girl and he wanted everything to be absolutely perfect for the days and years ahead.

"There's only one thing," Hiccup took the notebook and pulled a charcoal pencil off a nearby desk. "What's her ring size?"

"Five."

The Chief smiled. "Same as Astrid." He began making notes and calculations on the page that Erick couldn't necessarily make out, simply because he was used to making larger calculations for the leather shop. "We should be able to start working on this tomorrow. When's the big day?"

Erick grinned. "Sooner than you think!" He relayed the date and even Finn couldn't stop the smile; Erick sounded like a little kid on Snoggletog with the excitement in his voice.

"I do love deadlines," Finn said. "Let's get cracking!"

* * *

Dead leaves and dry sticks crunched beneath Alton's boots as he trekked through the brush, Inga on his heels. He listened to her talk as they made their way toward the river, deep in the woods and far from their home. They made it a habit to take walks in the woods a few times a week, happy to spend time with one another. Mara believed it was good for Inga to get some exercise outdoors to keep her healthy. Thus, their usual walk plunged them deep into the forest and gave them much time to talk. Today, however, Inga was doing most of the talking, and it was beginning to disconcert him.

"And he just gave me this weird look like," Inga shook her head in agitation. Her long, dark braid swished across her back, drawing his eye. "Like he didn't want me checking on his health. I'm basically his go-to healer since his accident so it's not a big deal if I ask if he's feeling alright, right?"

Alton opened his mouth to reply, but she'd already begun speaking again.

"Of course, knowing Finn he's just feeling indignant because he doesn't want to be coddled. But even then, he really shouldn't be so touchy." Inga paused. "He's been cranky for a while now, actually."

Picking up a handful of smooth stones, Alton said nothing and faced the water. Inga had been talking about Finn a lot lately and it was starting to grate on his nerves, having to play this clueless, innocent game.

"What do you think?" Inga asked suddenly.

Alton threw a rock, watching it skip across the smooth water. He glanced at her before tossing another rock. "About what?"

"Finn, obviously." Inga replied, picking up a handful of stones herself. "That's who I've been talking about after all. Or is your mind on far, distant lands as usual?"

Alton ignored the jibe. "Well, which part do you want me to comment on? Finn's injury, the professional side of your relationship? Or the fact that he's been dancing around you all summer?" He threw another rock, ignoring Inga's sharp eyes boring into the side of his face.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "He's talked to me about a lot of things that he normally doesn't mention to other people. We have more than a professional relationship. Mara just decided to make me his healer-"

"That's the problem though, isn't it?" Alton asked, finally looking at her. "Finn doesn't like to be forced into anything. Maybe when your relationship was still so new and he was just starting to trust you…" He faltered, thinking out loud. "People forcing you together on a regular basis, I don't know, what if that's freaked him out a bit?"

Inga looked confused. "What would freak him out? Finn is no stranger to the healers."

"It's not about the healers, Inga, that's what I'm trying to tell you." Alton sighed.

"Well spit it out then, what are you trying to say?" Inga demanded.

Alton watched her warily as she threw another stone into the water. Her aim was so off it only fell in the water with a mighty  _floomp_. "You want the honest truth?"

"No, I want you to lie to me."

"Inga," Alton said, heart thumping. "I think you like Finn, and you're so loyal that you'd take his secrets to the grave, whatever they may be. While that makes you an invaluable friend, I think that you think that maybe there's more to your relationship than what it is."

Inga stared at him. "So what? You don't think Finn likes me? You think he regrets telling me anything about his past?"

"Well, yes and no," Alton took a deep breath. "I don't think he regrets telling you anything; I don't know what those secrets could possibly be, but I know Finn. He values those he trusts. He's going to need that trust when he's Chief, not that I think he makes his decisions just because he's going to be Chief, mind you. But to have those trustworthy friends established beforehand, I mean, that's important to him."

"But?" Inga raised an eyebrow.

"But…" Alton bit his lip. "I don't think he likes you like that."

"How would you know?" Inga asked. "It's not like you and him are exactly best friends."

"No, but I am observant." Alton replied. He didn't know where this inner calm was coming from, but he was amazed that he'd been able to say all this after thinking it for so long. Alton had been watching his best friend pine after the Chief's son since the day he'd come home with Johann almost two months ago. Obviously her crush had been going on for some time beforehand. Alton been so excited to see her, to spend time with her again… just to talk about Finn all the time. He'd been thankful up til now that Finn didn't seem interested in pursuing Inga; that, however, only made his job harder.

"Inga," Alton sighed when she didn't reply. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I can tell that Finn and I have that in common, even if he doesn't realize it yet."

Inga's blue eyes snapped to stare at him. Her face was beginning to flush in anger.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Alton pleaded.

"Why do you care anyway?" Inga snapped.

His heart gave a lurch and Alton looked away. The hurt must have shown on his face because Inga suddenly sighed. "I'm sorry. It's obvious, isn't it?"

Alton looked at her again, heart pumping. "It is?"

"Yeah," Inga said softly. "You're my best friend. It's your job to be honest and tell me what you think. Besides, I did ask."

His heart plunked down to somewhere in his stomach. So she didn't know after all. Did he say anything else about the topic, or should he let it drop? He had wanted to tell her for so long now...

"Well, Finn's a stubborn pain in the butt, but he's not stupid. I'm sure he'll figure it out. Ya know what they say, it pays to be patient!" Inga grinned.

Despite his discouragement, Alton had to smile. "I've never heard that statement before."

"That's because, dear Alton," Inga smirked, walking back to the trail. "It's a Jorgenson saying!"

This time, Alton laughed out loud. Somehow he highly doubted that the Jorgenson clan knew anything about patience. He jogged to catch up with his best friend, glad when she started up a new string of conversation. He couldn't help but wonder though how his best friend would ever notice him when she had her eyes on Fearless Finn.

* * *

September 9th came without any preconceived ideas. Adrianna roused around nine in the morning, slipped on her fuzzy slippers and sauntered downstairs for breakfast. When she emerged with visions of eggs and bacon in her mind's eye, her mother nearly ran to her from the wash room.

"Adri!" Astrid grinned, snatching the pan out of her hands and quickly throwing in some eggs as if reading her thoughts. "Beautiful morning! I'll make you breakfast; bacon?"

Adrianna blinked. "Sure! I can do that though-"

"No, that's okay, you go ahead and take a hot bath, okay?"

Frowning, Adrianna watched her mother's grin stretch until she had deep wrinkles around her eyes. "Why?

"Because it's a beautiful day to be clean!" Astrid said, shooing her toward the wash room. "Now off you get, if you're quick your eggs won't be cold!"

The door closed in her face and Adrianna blinked. "What?"

Confused, she turned to the steaming water in the tub. She sniffed experimentally, smelling the lavender and lemon wafting to her nose. Actually the idea of a hot bath sounded wonderful, but knowing her family there was bound to be some sort of prank or trap ready to-

What? She was pregnant! Her parents or brother wouldn't spring any traps on her in the washroom and risk her slipping and falling. With a decisive nod, she quickly stripped and eased into the hot bath, sighing happily at the heated water.

Adrianna wasn't ginormous yet, but her back and feet always ached by lunch time. Maybe her mother was just in an extremely excitable mood today. Sometimes she got like that. Or maybe she just knew what it was like to be pregnant and feel like an utmost fatty, especially when your male counterpart was a twig and ate less than you did a day.

Whatever the case, the bath was wonderful. She didn't want cold eggs, however, so she quickly washed her hair and got out, careful not to slip on the wet floor. She wrapped up in a purple robe, ready to retreat to her bedroom to find comfy clothes when she saw it: A purple dress with a note attached.

"Wear this," Adrianna mused, reading her mother's handwriting. "What.. but… comfy clothes!" she hissed softly, pouting slightly. "Mom!"

"Yeah?" Astrid called from the other side of the door.

"Why do I have to wear a dress?" A horrible thought struck her. "Oh my gods, you didn't throw me a surprise baby shower did you?"

"So what if I did?" Astrid called.

"Oh man." Adrianna sighed. She was getting used to people's looks and many were going out of their way to make her feel welcome. But she felt most comfortable when she spent time with her friends and family. She didn't want to feel put on the spot. "Oh well," She whispered, grabbing the dress and finding clean underclothes folded on a chair beside it. "Just get it over with. Who doesn't like free baby clothes?"

Donning the dress wasn't as difficult as she'd expected. Inspecting herself in the mirror, it fit to her curves in a natural way that didn't make her look like a Monstrous Nightmare. She wasn't sure what to expect of her baby bump; the dress made it look more pronounced, or at least she thought so.

Exiting the washroom, she found a plate of eggs and bacon and toast waiting for her. However, her mom stopped her with a glowing look. "Oh good, it fits!"

"Where'd you get it?" Adrianna asked curiously.

"And tell you all my secrets?" Astrid teased.

"Mom!"

"Alright," Astrid sighed, glancing toward the door as if expecting eavesdroppers. "Your father had it imported from Johann."

"What?" Adrianna gaped. "But how does it possibly fit me?"

"Your father said something about 'stretchy fabric'." Astrid shrugged, ushering her daughter to the chair. "But we were really crossing our fingers. We got lucky. Now eat up, you've got a long day ahead of you!"

"Why?" Adrianna asked, a third of her plate already gone. She helped herself to some juice. "Don't we ladies usually have food at these functions anyway?"

"Yes, but when you're pregnant you can never have enough food, am I right?"

"Sadly, it's true." Adrianna sighed, shoveling more eggs into her mouth. She was surprised when her mom stood behind her chair and began playing with her hair. "Aw mom, you don't have to glam me up!"

"I'm not, I'm just pinning it up." Astrid said calmly.

By the time Adrianna finished her breakfast, her hair was pinned back in a bun with a braid twisting through the right side. She felt it gingerly just as the door opened, and her brother emerged. He stopped short, his blue eyes wide.

"What?" Adrianna asked. "Do I have food on my face?" She wiped her mouth furiously, looking at her reflection in her spoon.

"No," Finn shook his head. "Anna… you look really pretty."

Adrianna looked up at her twin in shock. It wasn't often that he complimented her. She found herself trying to fight a smile. "It's just for the ladies of Berk. Nothing special." She saw him shoot their mother a knowing glance, though she wasn't sure why.

Suddenly, Finn held out a hand. "You ready?"

Blinking, Adrianna asked, "For what… are you taking me to the party?"

"You could say that," Finn's blue eyes were twinkling. Adrianna really began to question this entire morning. What were they planning?

Sighing in a playful way, she took Finn's hand and followed him out the door. "We're not really going to a baby shower, are we?"

Finn and Astrid merely grinned and led her outside. Their mother walked to the barn, strangely bidding them good luck, before mounting Stormfly. "I'm off to the Academy, but I'll see you in a few hours."

Finn led her down the hill and across the bridge. Adrianna's mind was in a whirl as they entered the village and bypassed many houses and stores. Where could he possibly be taking her? Finally, Finn stopped in front of the healers.

Adrianna frowned, dropping her hand from his arm. "I'm not needed here today."

"Well I certainly hope not," Finn smiled. "I've got a little game for you."

"A game?" Adrianna raised an eyebrow.

"Yup. It's kind of a scavenger hunt, see. Every place we go, you have to find something, and there will be a memory that goes with that thing you find. Capiche?"

"No."

"You'll figure it out." Finn leaned against the porch with a casual air and waited.

Adrianna glanced around. "I'm supposed to find something that gives me a memory?"

"Yup."

A few girls ambled by, eyeing Finn and giggling. Adrianna felt very self-conscious suddenly, even though their laughter probably had nothing to do with her. Finn, however, scowled at them and they scurried away as if burned.

"Women." Finn rolled his eyes. "Anna, all you have to do is look around a bit until you find something."

"Okay, but why are we doing this?" Adrianna asked, trying hard not to get flustered.

"Why, why, why," Finn moaned, his head lolling back against the porch railing.

"Oh fine." Adrianna sighed. She saw her brother's victorious grin out of the corner of her eye. She walked around the porch, looking for she knew not what, and trying her best not to let a few random teenage girls throw her into a state. They were only checking out her brother, who didn't seem to understand that his casual pose against the porch railing was actually very attractive to girls, but if every girl on the bloody island was watching-

Her thoughts halting, Adrianna blinked. On the opposite side of the porch from Finn beyond the stairs was a piece of parchment with a familiar drawing. As if in a trance, she walked forward and picked it up. It was the drawing Erick had given her after her kidnapping… his first gift of friendship.

Drawn in purple in a child's hand was a clear picture of a girl. She smiled nostalgically at the image. Adrianna paused when a second, younger page stuck out from beneath the original. Adrianna flipped the old drawing over and blinked in surprise: It was a new sketch of her, recently done. Her hair was down in waves and she was smiling softly. When had Erick learned to draw like this?

Hearing footsteps, Adrianna turned and stared at Finn. "What is this?"

"Read the back." Finn replied.

Adrianna flipped the sketch and read:

**Confession One:**

**When I was five, I drew a picture for a girl I'd seen but didn't know. She was sad and afraid, and I thought it would be great to draw her a picture in the hopes of making her feel better. Little did I know the adventures we'd have in the years since. You are forever my best friend, Adrianna, and I love you.**

**Erick**

"Confession one?" Adrianna asked Finn in a small voice.

Finn merely held out his arm and, extremely curious now, Adrianna took it. He led her away toward the town square. Adrianna decided to stop asking questions; she merely held the Confession close to her chest and waited to see where her brother would take her next.

She found herself being led inside the bakery. Ben, a stout old viking with greying hair, grinned at them from behind his bushy mustache.

"Ah I always love a visit from my favorite twins!"

"You say that to the Thorstons too, Ben." Finn smirked.

Ben held a hand to his eyes. "Foiled again! Can't pull the wool over your eyes, Fearless Finn."

"Not a chance, Ben." Finn agreed, leaning against the counter and casting a mischievous look at Adrianna. "However, I think it's time to deliver the package."

"Package?" Adrianna echoed.

Ben grinned, disappearing behind the counter for a moment. He emerged with a brown paper bag and gently handed it over to Adrianna. He patted her hand gingerly before sniffing.

Surprised at his emotion, Adrianna opened the bag. Inside were three of her favorite sweet rolls and a second note. Smiling at the men, she took out the note and read:

**Confession Two:**

**My father used to co-own this bakery with Ben. I remember the countless hours we'd spend with him baking pies and cookies and throwing handfuls of flour at each other. My dad never complained and up until the day he died, he encouraged me to always be your friend.**

**I didn't always take his advice. For a while, I was a fool and ignored you. But his death taught me a lesson: Treasure those people that you love. We don't know how must time we have. So, from this day forward, I promise to cherish you just as you cherish my father's sweet bun recipe.**

**I love you,**

**Erick**

Adrianna found herself laughing, despite her wet face. She hadn't realized that she'd started crying. But the memories of Olaf had stirred something deep in her chest. Despite his tragic death, she could still feel him here in this place where flour coated the countertops and laughter was in the air.

Reaching out to Ben, she took his flour-coated hand in hers. "Thank you."

Ben's face was also wet and she saw Finn look away, his face slightly flushed. The old baker patted her hand gently. "He was a good man, Olaf. You've got something just as special in his son. Never forget that, dearest."

Adrianna smiled and nodded, wishing she could reach over the counter to hug him. But before she could charge around the corner, Finn gently grasped her elbow and steered her out the door. He took a deep breath of the crisp September air as if to clear his head and grinned.

"Next!"

"Finn, what is all this?" Adrianna asked, holding the two cards and bag of sweet buns.

Her brother once again merely smiled and continued walking. She resigned herself to being led onward, considering these two notes and wondering what else Erick had left her. Where was he anyway?

Finn ambled toward the hatchery, careful to open the heavy door and usher her inside so it wouldn't swing shut before she'd fully entered. It had a nasty habit of slamming closed, especially on a windy day.

As if on cue, Finn said, "Erick would kill me if you got crushed by a door today."

"As opposed to tomorrow?" Adrianna snarked.

"Tis true." Finn leaned against a dragon pen. "Well, off you go."

"What?" Adrianna wheeled around to face him. "This place is huge! I'll never find-"

"Think about what memories you and Erick could have in here; I'm sure you'll think of something."

"He didn't tell you where it is?"

"I didn't say that, but you're not clueless. It's your shared memories."

"Yes, but we've been friends for most of our lives! We didn't exactly come in here one time and this is a big building!"

"Better get started then!" Finn remarked in a chirpy voice.

Adrianna sighed in mild annoyance and started forward. Dozens of dragons of varying kinds squawked at her as she walked by, scratching their chins as she went. Finn mosied a short distance behind, his thick boots scuffing the floor as he walked. She hid a smirk: The big buffoon always dragged his feet when he was bored.

"Getting antsy?" She asked over her shoulder as she walked from pen to pen, trying to think of where this next memory could be.

"No, I just don't have this card memorized so if it got eaten by a dragon, I might just botch it on the delivery."

Adrianna laughed. "So much loyalty to the brotherhood."

"Erick knew what he was risking."

Another quip faltered on her tongue when a certain pen caught her attention. It was smaller than most and allowed for standing room, but there was a built-in bench circumnavigating the inner walls. The pen itself was empty but the note sitting on the farthest bench was unmistakeable.

"What…" Adrianna opened the pen and picked up the note. She couldn't help the grin when she saw what it said:

**Confession Three:**

**When you were seven and I was eight, a bunch of Gronckles had recently hatched. We sat in this pen for hours playing with them and one of my favorite memories is of you lying on this floor cackling with baby dragons crawling all over you. I couldn't help but think even then that you were absolutely adorable.**

**I love you,**

**Erick**

"Aw he's so cute," Adrianna gushed, setting the note in the pile.

"I know, absolutely gushy." Finn rolled his eyes and held open the door.

"Now where are we going?" Adrianna asked as soon as they were outside the hatchery. She was surprised however to find Taryn standing just outside the door, smiling broadly.

"Well  _I'm_ going to work," Finn remarked. "I couldn't get the entire day off, but Taryn's going to take over. I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" Surprising her once again, Finn gave her a swift hug before ambling back into the bustling village.

Adrianna met Taryn's eyes and together, they laughed. Taryn took Adrianna's arm and led her down another street, the latter gushing about the notes. She didn't know what other messages she might find and again, she wondered where Erick was.

"This is an exciting day," Taryn remarked as they made their way up the Great Hall stairs. "We've been planning this for a while."

"Really?" Adrianna asked. "Even Finn?"

"Even Finn. He may not act like it, but even he was excited. I think he was looking for a chance to dote on you a little bit because he volunteered to take you around first."

"Okay, but why-"

Taryn interrupted. "Girlie, you  _deserve_  to have a good day! It's been a long, crappy year for you, and gods know you're tired. All of us wanted to do something special for you!"

Adrianna smiled at her shoes, feeling bashful. She'd have to repay Erick, her brother and Taryn the favor someday, and whoever else might be involved.

She followed Taryn through the mighty doors and saw many villagers milling around. The chef and his staff were bustling around the cooking stations as usual. Adrianna shivered, not realizing how chilly she'd been outside. The warmth of the Great Hall extinguished her shivers and warmed her right down to the soles of her boots, and without asking Taryn she began to mosey through the various rows of tables.

People gave her bright smiles as she moved passed, again making her wonder what they knew that she didn't. She looked around once again for Erick but the only blondes in the room were herself, Helga Ingermann, who gave her a wild grin, and a waitress. With all these sweet notes he was leaving her, she'd wasn't sure whether she'd hug or kiss him first.

At long last, she found herself in the center of the Hall and there, sitting atop a table was a fourth folded piece of parchment and a fresh purple lily. Smiling tenderly, she picked up the flower with the other parchments and picked up the fourth Confession.

**Confession Four:**

**My fifteenth birthday still holds the record as my favorite Snoggletog ever. Do you know why? Because it was right here at this bench that we first kissed after dancing until our feet were sore. Even then you were good at it, and I never forgot how brave and amazing you are.**

**I love you,**

**Erick**

Of course Adrianna remembered that kiss. Erick had been the first boy she'd ever kissed. He'd been so unsure, but finally when their lips had met, instinct took over and the surrealism of kissing her best friend took over. Even more potent a memory however was the hammering in her chest, the excitement she'd felt… She hadn't just kissed Erick for the sake of a sprig of leaves, even if it had started out that way in their innocent conversation. Perhaps it felt right even then at the humble ages of thirteen and fifteen.

It was their first kiss last spring however that really made her knees wobble. Their unexpected outing from the library to Troll Bridge, his skittish behavior and trying to leave without talking about his true feelings. It had been obvious to her then just how much he cared and how difficult it was for him to stand by and watch her date another boy. She hadn't wanted him to leave; she wanted to discuss things because in one foul swoop, she'd desperately wanted to fill that hole that had been dug so deeply. She'd wanted to know the truth. Nothing had prepared her for the passionate kiss that he'd given her then, even if they regretted it later. That kiss was second only to their third, best kiss on her front porch, when he'd held her so carefully and kissed her so lovingly. It was both strange and wonderful how Erick could show how much he cared without saying a word.

"Lost in memories?"

Adrianna blinked in surprise, looking over at Taryn. "Oh, yes. Sorry." She laughed a little, adding the paper to the stack.

Taryn had a knowing look on her face. "He really is perfect for you."

Adrianna giggled again, unsure what to say. Finally she settled on asking where they were going next.

"Follow me!" Taryn grinned, taking her arm and leading her back out into the chilly September air. They chatted happily as they walked to the outskirts of Berk and into the sawmill. Adrianna thought nothing of it until they neared a tall wooden structure, and she froze when she saw the fifth note on the stairs.

She stared up at the vast structure, her bright green eyes on the machine that had taken his leg. Horrific images of frayed bone, a large pool of blood, his face whitening under her hands… She already knew what Erick had written without even picking up the paper. At her hesitance, Taryn gingerly picked up the paper and held it out to her.

"I know what you're thinking," Taryn said quietly. "Here. It's sweet."

Finding her voice, Adrianna asked, "You've read it?"

"He knew you'd hesitate on this one."

Adrianna took the paper and silently opened it:

**Confession Five:**

**I don't remember much from the accident that took my leg, but I do remember this: A crippling fear that I'd die without ever begging for your forgiveness, for mending our broken friendship. More than anything, I value our friendship and don't want anything to ever get between us again.**

**I love you,**

**Erick**

"That is sweet," Adrianna commented quietly, folding the paper once again. She swallowed hard. "I thought he was going to die that day and… I remember thinking the same thing. That he was going to die and I'd never get a chance to tell him how sorry I was. That I still cared about him."

Taryn hugged her suddenly and Adrianna accepted it happily. In the embrace she could feel all the love and grace that her friend exuded on a constant basis.

"You are such an encouragement to me, Anna," Taryn said with a watery smile. "You've been through so much. Both of you have. I don't know how either of you haven't quit yet."

Adrianna rubbed her burning eyes. "I'm not sure either to be honest."

They both chuckled and waved at their watering eyes frantically, trying to stop each other from crying. Soon they were laughing and leaving the sawmill, Adrianna eager to find the next note and hoping that the next location would hold happy memories.

She was pleasantly surprised when a certain hill near the village came into view. The sixth note was lying in the middle of the grass and Taryn looked confused as Adrianna snorted and began to read it, hoping against all hopes that it said what she thought:

**Confession Six:**

**I will gladly fall for you for the rest of my days as long as you always laugh like you did here.**

**I love you,**

**Erick**

Adrianna snorted again, tucking the paper away. She found Taryn looking over her shoulder, looking confused. "What happened here?"

"Okay, don't tell him I told you because we agreed never to talk about this." Adrianna murmured, glancing around for the first time today hoping that she wouldn't see Erick. "It was a few months after he lost his leg. Mara wanted him to go outside more, get some fresh air, and Brandyn was busy so I decided to go with him. So we walked up here, talking about whatever, and that's when I became a klutz and slipped on a patch of gravel."

"Oh dear," Taryn winced.

"Yes, except I caught my balance by reeling into him." Adrianna snickered. "It could have been so bad, given his recent injury. He keeled sideways, trying to catch his balance and with all the gravel and trying to fall uphill, arms flailing in all directions…" Adrianna dissolved into giggles at the mental picture.

"Wow," Taryn chuckled meekly.

"It's one of those inside stories," Adrianna shrugged. "You had to be there. But he made me promise not to tell anyone because he was so mortified."

"Well I'm good at keeping secrets. Your story is safe with me." Taryn grinned. "And now, onward!"

They marched down the hill, glad the area had less gravel than it apparently used to. It wouldn't do for Adrianna to slip at this point in time.

"How many of these are left, Taryn?" Adrianna asked curiously.

"Oh, a few!"

The blonde sighed, wishing everyone would stop being so secretive. Looking down into her bag, she pulled out a sweet bun and insisted sharing it with Taryn as they walked. They walked into the village, which teemed with people being almost lunch time. Many were making the trek up to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Where's Erick?" Adrianna asked, looking toward the leather shop.

"Not in there, sweetness," Taryn said patiently. "You will find that it's your next destination though!"

"Oh goodie." Adrianna bustled inside without knocking, feeling right at home at the leather shop.

Horst and Cliff welcomed her with big grins, the latter nearly upending his work desk. She wasn't sure if he was more excited to see her or Taryn.

"Well if it isn't my two favorite girls!" Cliff wrapped Adrianna up in his long arms and gave her a careful squeeze. When he released her he promptly wrapped an arm around Taryn's waist. "Your next note is over there somewhere, and no, I do not know what it says. He made me swear not to read it, despite my almost constant temptation and-"

Adrianna picked the note off his desk and opened it, Cliff's voice disappearing into the background as she began to read:

**Confession Seven:**

**It was here I discovered two things: How innovative you are in a workshop and also what an amazing kisser you really are. Even after almost thirteen years of friendship, you never cease to amaze me. Keep surprising me, Annie.**

**I love you,**

**Erick**

Her face flushing slightly, Adrianna kept her back turned on the three people behind her, glad to hear Cliff still engaging them in conversation. She didn't want them asking questions if she turned around with a red face. Cliff would never let them hear the end of it if he knew that she'd nearly kissed Erick senseless in this very room about a month ago…

When she deemed her coloring back to normal, she added the note to the ever-growing pile and faced them. Cliff instantly asked: "What did it say?"

"Cliffie, I wouldn't want to scar you." She replied seamlessly. "Where to next, Taryn?"

"Scar me?" Cliff pouted.

"As a matter of fact, I've fulfilled my duties," Taryn smiled, patting Cliff's chest. "You get Cliffie for the next two."

"Oh?" Adrianna smiled up at him. "And where are we going?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me what the note said!"

"No."

"Aw man." Cliff waved her forward and opened the door. "Fine, fine, but I'll find out soon enough."

"I don't know about that, Cliff," Adrianna replied, shooting a knowing look at Taryn. "Every couple has its secrets."

Taryn blushed and Adrianna laughed as she stepped outside, beginning to wonder what secrets Cliff and Taryn might be keeping between them. She thought it might be too soon for them to have kissed already; it hadn't been that long.

"Blast that accursed temptress, curiosity!" Cliff exclaimed, recognizing the apparent look on her face. "Alas, we all must keep a zipped lip on those secrets."

"What secrets do you really have to hide, Cliff?" Adrianna asked teasingly. "You get so excited with everything that happens, you can't wait to tell everyone what happened."

Cliff tapped the side of his nose. "Aha, but that's where the curly hair comes in."

"Curly hair?" Adrianna blinked.

"Yup. Curly hair makes it easier to keep secrets." Cliff slid an arm around her shoulders and leaned in close. "That's why girls put braids in, to fool their hair into thinking it's curly so they can keep secrets better!"

Adrianna laughed. "Your children are going to have the craziest imaginations someday."

That seemed to shut him up. Cliff's face turned a blotchy red and he plowed forward, obviously feeling awkward. Adrianna giggled and caught up to him, taking his arm as they walked.

The walk to the next destination took a little longer. Cliff made sure to walk at a somewhat leisurely pace, given his stature compared to hers. He nearly dwarfed her in size and could usually outdistance her easily. Here it was obvious to Adrianna that Cliff didn't want to leave her in the dust.

She was grateful for it when, after her second walk up the Great Hall stairs, she didn't feel winded. Instead of going inside the massive Hall however, Cliff steered her down another path that led to the back section of the Hall. She smiled knowingly when Cliff opened the door to the library and ushered her inside.

Adrianna stared around at the countless shelves. She and Erick had spent countless hours in here as children; their shenanigans and silly games were innumerous. How in the world was she supposed to find a note in here?

Cliff toss a hand toward the shelves. "Off you go, then!"

With a giggle, Adrianna set off up and down the shelves. She scrounged through various favorite books she and Erick had grown up loving but came up empty. Matilda gave her an excited, knowing grin from her desk but said nothing as Adrianna passed. Up and down the rows she thought of her most potent memories, sometimes darting off to another shelf as fast as her pregnancy legs could take her. But alas, she came up empty handed.

Hands on her hips, she swiveled toward Cliff and Matilda. "Alright, give me a hint."

"It's in a book!"

"Yes, thank you, Cliffie, I gathered that much."

Matilda turned in her seat. "Think plants."

"Plants?" Adrianna mused, striding toward the herbology section. She riffled through the books in search of some kind of clue. On occasion she'd find Fishlegs and his son, Gunnar in here researching various plants.

Scanning the books down a particularly filled up row, Adrianna's finger drifted from binding to binding until a pink book caught her eye. Curious, she pulled it out and found the corner of a familiar looking note sticking out of a page in the middle. The book cover read  _Crafts for Beginners._  Adrianna opened the page and paused in surprise at what she found.

The chapter was on creating fabric flowers from home. A purple fabric flower marked the page just under the note. Intricate pink embroidery surrounded the edges of the petals, and the center was cinched by a cluster of pink pearls. Awestruck, Adrianna picked it up with care, almost afraid it would break. Pulling out the note, she read:

**Confession Eight:**

**You've worn flowers in your hair for as long as I can remember. The most important men in your lives knew how to make them: your father and Benen. I think it's high time I knew how to make them too.**

**I know how much you miss him. You don't talk about it for Finn's sake, but I know you miss him just as much. I know you would have wanted him to be a part of your future if he'd only had time. So I made this flower in his honor and embroidered his name along the petals so you always have something to remember him by.**

**I love you,**

**Erick**

Adrianna never would have expected this. Some might think it so simple, but it wasn't about the fabric flowers. It was Erick's constant thoughtfulness and consideration that it fabric flowers were something she'd grown up with and she still treasured. It was true: the fabric flowers reminded her of her innocent childhood before tragedy had struck, and they reminded her of Benen.

She looked closer at the petals and found that the intricate embroidery around the petals indeed was Benen's name in cursive. Erick must have spent a considerable amount of time on this…

Adrianna looked up when she heard soft footfalls. Cliff and Matilda were giving her gentle smiles. Matilda gently took the flower and pinned it into her hair, Adrianna laughing softly and wiping her face. She hadn't realized she'd even started crying. Again.

"Stupid hormones!" Adrianna cried, waving at her face.

Cliff and Matilda laughed, the latter giving her a warm hug. "I love you, dear." The dark-haired woman pulled back, her eyes alight with joy. "I don't know if I've ever told you that. It has been an absolute joy spending all these years with you. Now if you ever need help with the baby, be sure to call! Don't forget about me now!"

Adrianna laughed. "Impossible, Matilda." She hugged her friend again.

Cliff cleared his throat. "Not that I want to break up this touching moment, but I really don't feel like crying today. At least not yet."

"Yet?" Adrianna asked.

Matilda promptly frogmarched them toward the doors. "Now you've got more memories to find, so best not dilly-dally! We're right on schedule!"

"Schedule?" Adrianna asked as she stepped back outside. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Cliff slicing a hand under his chin at Matilda.

"Oh!" gasped the wide-eyed Matilda.

Adrianna turned a curious eye toward Cliff. "What's going on?"

"Do you hear that?" Cliff suddenly exclaimed.

The females paused, listening hard. Only the sound of birds and Terrible Terrors filled the air.

"Adventure calls!" Cliff cheered to the treetops, brandishing a stick. Adrianna laughed out loud as he grabbed her hand and promptly began charging down the path back toward the village.

"By Matilda!" Adrianna called over her shoulder, still laughing.

"Goodbye, dear!"

They slowed their pace when they finally reached the Great Hall, Cliff ushering her across the stone platform toward the other side of the woods. "You know I can still badger you with questions, Cliff." Adrianna teased.

"Best not spoil the surprise," Cliff halted, mid-step. "That is… if there were any surprises to spoil."

"Cliff, what is going on!" Adrianna demanded, halting on the dirt path through the trees. "Erick leaving me all these notes and gifts, everyone being so nice to me… what's-"

"Oh look, a note!" Cliff exclaimed, running off through the trees.

Adrianna huffed and followed after him, knowing full well that he was avoiding her questions. Sure enough he plucked a note off a familiar fallen tree trunk and handed it out to her. She stared at the trunk and the note in his hand.

Cliff winced. "He said you would recognize this one."

Treading softly, Adrianna took the note. She pretended to give an annoyed sigh. "I really don't want to cry again…"

"Then don't!" Cliff grinned. "Turn off the water works, girlie."

"Easy for you to say, boyo." Adrianna snarked before finally opening the ninth note, hoping Cliff didn't notice her trembling fingers.

**Confession Nine:**

**Annie, I will never be able to fathom the amount of pain you've experienced. It kills me every day knowing that I couldn't help you, that I didn't know. But it was here that you trusted me and told me that you were pregnant, and I didn't know what to think or feel.**

**I've made my decision since then. More than anything, I want to be your support and helper. I will be there when you have this baby and I will be there to help you raise him or her. I don't know the first thing about parenting, but I know this: I love you, Annie, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure you and your baby are loved and cared for. One day at a time, we will handle this trial just like we have all the others, and I will be standing right next to you as we do. I promise.**

**I love you,**

**Erick**

A bundle of tissues was being held out to her when she lifted her eyes. Chuckling with Cliff, Adrianna took them and wiped her face. Even as she dabbed her eyes, she found herself encircled in her friend's long arms.

"I love you, Anna-bear." Cliff murmured into her hair.

Adrianna sniffed and held him tighter around his skinny shoulders. "I love you too, Cliffie."

"Cliff, would you stop making my daughter cry?"

Adrianna pulled away in surprise, looking over her shoulder to see her dad walking toward them through the trees. She laughed and rubbed at her eyes a final time, Cliff rubbing her back gently.

"Sorry, Chief, but that's Erick's fault."

"No, it's fine," Adrianna sighed. "Happy tears."

"Well they're only about to get better," Hiccup smiled at her fondly.

"Or is it worse?" Cliff asked brightly.

Adrianna sighed. "Why?"

Hiccup held out his hand and, playfully sighing once again, Adrianna took it and followed him deeper into the woods. Cliff bade them a cheerful goodbye before tromping through the woods back toward the Great Hall as fast as his long legs could take him. The Haddocks took a turn around a bend when they heard a loud crash, followed by a loud exclamation: "I'M OKAY!"

"Gods, he's so clumsy!" Adrianna whispered comically.

Hiccup grinned. "That he is."

"Dad, did you see all this?" Adrianna held up the handful of notes. Catching his knowing grin, she exclaimed, "You knew?"

"Oh Addie, of course I knew. I know everything, at least where you and Finn are concerned."

"Everything?" Adrianna winced, wondering if he'd seen Confession Number Seven.

Hiccup chortled. "Mostly."

They took another turn and Adrianna's pace slowed, the path looking more and more familiar. "Wait…" She looked up at Hiccup unsurely, but he merely tugged her forward.

"Also," Hiccup said, looking down at her. "You look beautiful, Addie."

Adrianna looked away bashfully, not sure what to say. "Everyone has been way too nice to me today. It's almost like it's my birthday again. My last birthday wasn't the greatest…"

"I'd say today will beat any birthday you've ever had."

"Impossible." Adrianna grinned. "No birthday is better than our eighth, when you and mom threw that huge party in the Great Hall and you did face painting!"

"Close second," Hiccup quipped.

"Finn asked for Thornado and I got Stormfly," Adrianna grinned. "We looked like big-eyed bugs, but it was still fun…" Adrianna paused, looking down at the ground in surprise. Flower petals covered the dirt path ahead of them. She looked up at Hiccup with an unsure eye, her heart beginning to pound. "Dad…"

Hiccup looked down at her then, and she realized he'd been avoiding eye contact before. Now she could see why: His green eyes were misty.

"Dad?" Adrianna asked again when he only stood there, taking her in.

Swallowing hard, Hiccup took a note out of his pocket. She knew it was the tenth Confession, but she only stared up at her dad, her hero, the strongest man in the world…

"Addie," Hiccup murmured. "I want you to know something."

Adrianna stared up at him, waiting.

"I am…  _so_ proud of you." Hiccup's eyes swam again but his voice didn't crack as he continued: "You've been through so much. Too much. And you've never quit. Never given up hope. I just want you to know that your mom and I could not have been blessed with a better daughter."

Hiccup leaned down, kissed her forehead and hugged her close to his chest. Adrianna held him close, a few tears slipping down her face. She almost felt like someone was dying, like he was saying goodbye. Too soon, he released her, his freckled face splotchy but loving, proud, joyful.

"Open your note, sweetie."

Adrianna's fingers fumbled with the edges for a moment before she managed to open it:

**Confession Ten:**

**You will find my last confession at our own personal getaway.**

**Follow the petals.**

**I love you,**

**Erick**

Adrianna looked down, seeing the red, pink and yellow petals curving around the corner of the well-worn path she'd tread for so long as a child. Her heart pounded in her chest, understanding coming to her… something that hadn't occurred to her before now…

She looked up at her dad, who had only eyes for her. "Aren't you coming?"

A corner of Hiccup's mouth lifted and he brushed a few stray hairs back from her face. "You won't want me there."

"I'll  _always_  want you there," Adrianna said quietly.

"And I will be for as long as I'm able," Hiccup smiled. "But there comes a time when a dad has to give his little girl to a better man."

Adrianna's heart thundered, staring back down the path. She had an idea what was waiting for her… but she wanted to know where her childhood had gone. While she couldn't believe the twists and turns her life had taken, though she knew how much she truly loved Erick… she wasn't ready.

"I don't want to leave you," Adrianna whispered, her voice a squeak in the quiet woods.

Hiccup laughed, holding the sides of her face and pressing his forehead to hers. "Addie, you will never leave me. Never. I'll always be right here when you need me."

"But things will be different."

"Yes, it will be different. But that's the beauty of it, Addie." Hiccup said quietly. "You can start a new adventure."

"You…" Adrianna felt almost silly, asking all these questions, but she felt like she had to or she'd regret it. She wanted more time with him. Just him. "You really want me to though? Honestly?"

Hiccup's eyes were bright. "Addie, I want nothing better for you than to be happy. Fulfilled. Treasured. I've done my absolute best to give you those things. I'd never let you go again if I thought he wasn't capable of doing that for you. There's no other man I would entrust my only little girl and her baby to."

A matching set of green eyes stared at each other. Adrianna felt her heart lift at the memories, both good and bad. The things she'd said to make him laugh or cry; the things he'd done despite his busy schedule, going out of his way to make her day. Since the very first day of her life, he'd held her, protected her, saved her. He'd never been perfect, but he never needed to be. He was still the strongest man in the world. He'd do anything for her without thought of himself. And if letting her go for someone better meant her happiness, so be it.

She wished her Poppy could have been here today. She wished Benen could have given her one of his warm, gentle hugs and given his blessing. She couldn't have them, but she was ultimately thankful that she had her father, her first best friend here with her today, to patiently answer her silly questions, to give boost her confidence, to make her happy…

"I love you, daddy." Adrianna said softly. "I love you so much."

Hiccup's eyes watered and he came so close to crying at last. Kissing her forehead firmly, he straightened and gave her a loving smile. "I love you too, Addie." Finally, he nodded toward the trail of flower petals. "Go on. He's waiting for you."

Adrianna gazed toward the path she knew so well. She glanced back at her dad again, only finding an encouraging smile on his face. No regrets. No second thoughts. She grinned back and with a deep breath, she strode down the path toward her new adventure.

* * *

Heart breaking, he watched his baby girl go. Even as his eyes burned with unshed tears, his heart swelled with pride. How beautiful and strong she was, how creative and snarky and entertaining she could be. She was his heart and soul, the only thing that kept him going every day except for his wife, dragon and son.

He'd faced countless difficult situations in his life. Hordes of memories flashed across his mind's eye, from battling the Red Death to discovering his father's untimely death to dueling Dagur for his children. So many painful memories. But letting her go had to be the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life.

But he was proud and thankful that he could have this moment with her. That Erick valued her relationship with her father that he thought to give them this last moment together. So Hiccup did not call her name as she walked away from him; he did not regret a moment he'd shared with her. He only smiled and prayed her coming adventure would be even sweeter than the one she left behind.

* * *

When Adrianna approached the final turn before Troll's Bridge came into view, she paused, if only to calm her nerves and take a deep breath. She wasn't sure what exactly to expect or why she was so nervous. Was it normal to be so nervous at a time such as this?

After another moment of nervous flutters in her stomach that had nothing to do with the baby, she swallowed the nerves and walked around the bend. She very nearly stopped in her tracks again when she saw him.

Erick was standing on Troll Bridge, smiling widely at her. She could see his dimples even from this distance. For some reason, everything about him seemed different. Maybe it was the new blue shirt with the brown pants, or his wavy hair, or bright teal eyes. Maybe it was the way his prosthetic glinted in the sun as if recently polished. But she couldn't deny that he took her breath away right there.

Her face split into a smile so wide at his own grin, and as she walked toward him she looked away bashfully. She'd never been bashful toward him. That was when she noticed the flowers gathered all around Troll Bridge, and how clean the area looked, as if it had been recently raked and weeded, dead logs and branches cleared away. It was as if he'd organized a complete operation right under her nose. When had he had time for all this? How did he keep it a secret when so many people had been involved? How long had he been planning this?

Adrianna finally stood in front of him and couldn't help the grin. He was still grinning down at her like nothing else could make him happier. Without warning, she threw her arms around his neck.

Erick laughed and hugged her back. "Right on schedule, milady."

"What do you- how long have you…  _how_?" Adrianna demanding as she pulling away, holding the stack of notes between them.

He laughed, kissing her forehead chastely. "Anything for my girl."

"You're amazing," Adrianna breathed, looking down at the stack of notes. She knew exactly the place she was going to put them for safekeeping.

"Well," Erick's grin faltered, as if suddenly nervous. "We're not finished yet."

And with that, he took a step back before bending down on one knee. Adrianna gasped, a hand flying to her mouth even though deep down she knew this was happening. All her friends and family being involved, all the sweet notes and favorite memories, it all had to lead toward something extra special. She vaguely wondered in the back of her mind if he shouldn't be bending and putting all his weight on his bad knee, but knew what he'd say to that. He was going to do this  _right_ , and all the pain in the world would be completely worth it.

From his pocket, he withdrew a black velvet box. Holding it up to her, Erick revealed a small silver ring with a purple flower on the top. The silver band had a couple loops to surround and keep the flower in place; the purple diamond itself had been cut into quarters and made to look exactly like a lily.

Adrianna stared down at the ring in shock. Where had he acquired something so beautiful and intricately made?

"Annie," Erick said softly.

Her eyes instantly began to burn and she brushed her fingers under them, trying to stop them from spilling over.

"You have been my best friend for as long as I can remember," Erick said, looking up at her with nothing but love in his eyes. "We've had many ups and downs. People have become between us and we've both experienced loss…" His voice caught for only a moment and he quickly swallowed. "In many ways. But no matter how hard it's been, you've always been there for me. No matter how much I couldn't stand living… now I can't believe how far gone I was, and it's only because of you and your family that I'm still here. You've never given up on me."

Erick wet his lips before continuing: "But even more amazing is how you've never given up. I don't know how you do it, but you do. You get up every single day with a smile on your face-"

Adrianna admitted a laugh, despite her wet cheeks. "Most days!"

"Most days," Erick conceded with a nervous laugh of his own. "You've been beaten down so much and you haven't faltered. And now…" He glanced down at her protruding belly for a moment before gazing back up at her. "Now you're going through the hardest thing I think any of us could think of. And I know I've told you this before, but I'll tell you again: I don't know what I'm doing. But I do know you, and I know that we can do anything we put our minds to. You're smart and beautiful, I'm less smart and even less beautiful-"

Adrianna laughed again through her tears.

Erick seemed to gain more confidence. "Together we can both learn how to raise this baby. I want to be there for both of you, every day for as long as I live. So…" Erick smiled up at her. "Adrianna Miracle Haddock, would you marry me?"

Her heart felt like it might explode out of her chest. Adrianna nodded shakily, but her smile was radiant. "Yes! Yes, I will, Erick."

A mixture of joy and relief washed over Erick's face. He jumped to both his feet and then he was kissing her, brushing a hand over her braided hair and around her waist. Adrianna curled her hands into his own hair, pressing close to his chest. She couldn't believe that this was happening; it was all so surreal and strange and-

Erick pulled back from her lips with a sharp pop, grinning uncontrollably. He rested his forehead on hers. "I love you so much, Annie."

Adrianna couldn't stop grinning; she thought her face was going to split. "I love you too, Erick."

"Oh, here!" Erick held up the box, opening it once more. With bated breath, he took the ring out and slid it onto her left ring finger. She looked at it in shock for a few moments, disbelieving how easily it fit and how beautiful it was.

"Where did you get this?" Adrianna finally asked.

Erick nuzzled her cheek with his nose. "I bought the diamond from Johann-"

"What!" Adrianna gasped.

"Now don't give me that look," Erick said half-sternly. "It was a very responsible purchase and I'm quite proud of it. Anyway, the band is pure silver. I…" He looked askance. "I drew the design."

Adrianna looked up at him in surprise. "You did?"

"Yes," Erick ran a hand through his hair, mussing it even further than she had, she thought with no small amount of satisfaction. "And your dad and brother made it. The ring, I mean."

"They did?" Adrianna gasped. She stared down at it once again, shock that all the important men in her lives had made something so special for her.

Erick prattled about the details of making the ring, the nights they spent making it and how great Hiccup still was at making things, and even how Finn put in his fair share of work when it hit her.

"Erick."

"Yes?" He asked, smiling down at her.

Adrianna grinned up at him, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet. "We're getting married!"

Erick laughed and pressed his forehead back to hers. "Yes, we are."

Stretching upward, Adrianna kissed him gently. "Thank you."

"For what?" Erick murmured.

"For being so amazing."

In response, Erick captured her mouth once again, his arm sliding around her back to press her closer to him. Adrianna lost herself in his mouth and hands, gasping slightly when he nipped her lip and kissing him back just as passionately when-

"Ow!" Adrianna lurched back, putting a hand to her stomach.

Erick gazed down at her stomach. "Was that…"

She looked up at him in surprise. "Was that what?"

Erick's teal eyes darted between her stomach and her face. "I felt that."

" _You_  felt that, did you?" Adrianna asked a little sardonically. "The kick was hard enough, I wouldn't-"

"Annie!"

"What?"

Erick blinked at her. "How long has he been kicking?"

"I-" Adrianna froze. "Well… maybe I haven't really noticed…"

"He must not be kicking that hard if you didn't notice until now," Erick grinned, looking down at her belly. He glanced back up at her through his bangs and she gave him a knowing smile.

"Oh, go on!"

Erick instantly rested a hand on the slight swell of her belly, feeling in various angles to find movements. They waited, Adrianna both anxious to feel another kick and enjoying the sensation of Erick's hands on her stomach when-  _JAB_!

"Ow, geez kid!" Adrianna winced.

"I felt him!" Erick exclaimed. "That's amazing!"

Adrianna laughed. "You surprise me too… Mr. Larson."

Erick's eyes darted up to hers and she felt a thrill in her stomach that wasn't the baby. Erick stepped closer, murmuring, "What did I tell you about calling me that?"

"Well, being your future wife and all," Adrianna pouted, crawling a couple fingers up his chest before hooking them in the neck of his shirt. "I didn't think you'd mind all that much."

"No ma'am." Erick smirked.

She jerked him back down and began kissing him in earnest, Erick's hand still resting on her belly even as the baby began to kick her once again.

"Mommy's a bit busy," Adrianna muttered, fighting back a moan as Erick's mouth trailed kisses down her jawline to below her ear. "And anyway… since when is it a boy?"

Erick kissed her soundly once more before replying, "Since Cliff insisted it was a girl."

Adrianna giggled. "Always a competition."

"Yup," Erick sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist once more. "As much as I'd love to stay here, we've got something else on the agenda."

"Oh?" Adrianna asked in surprise.

"Dinner." Erick said in a knowing way that made her wonder what else he might have in store for her.

Twenty minutes later, Adrianna received her answer when they entered the Great Hall hand in hand, and a crowd of people began to cheer. Once her initial shock was over, Adrianna merely raised an eyebrow at her new fiancé. Erick only gave her a cheeky grin and pulled her into the Hall after him.

His entire family was there, except Nikolas. His wife Melanie ran toward them almost instantly to say congratulations before scurrying out the Hall doors. Erick explained later that while Nikolas remained a stubborn mule, he had no qualms with keeping some semblance of a friendship with Mel. Not wishing to anger her husband, however, she told Erick she would come by for the celebrations but only briefly. Erick was thankful enough for that.

All their friends and their families were there. The Chef and Ben the Baker had pulled out all the stops, filling the tables to the brim with their best courses and desserts, despite the fact that only a third of the village had been invited. Grandma Ingerman had even made brownies, per Fearless Finn's request. He'd at long last conceded that the old woman was indeed the best brownie maker in the Archipelago and she joked that now that she had Finn's permission, she supposed she could now make brownies of her own free will.

Laughing at the banter, Erick and Adrianna walked around and around, Adrianna showing all the women her ring and casting dazzling smiles at her new fiancé, and all the men pounding him on the back for his work well done. They continuously held hands throughout the entire celebration, even as they finally sat down and ate.

It was when the men were breaking out the kegs at last that Adrianna finally spotted him. She knew he was around somewhere but being the Chief, people always managed to grab his attention at the most inopportune times.

Jumping from her seat, she pulled Erick toward her parents. "Come on!"

"I'm coming!" Erick laughed, dodging a table that she nearly plowed him into.

Hiccup's smile broadened as they approached and, at long last, she released her fiancé's hand so she could fiercely hug her father. Hiccup held her tightly to his chest as if he wanted to hold her there forever.

"Thank you." Adrianna whispered in his ear.

She heard and felt his smile broaden even more, if such a thing was even possible. "Congratulations, baby."


	28. Love and Loss

Fearless Finn was at a loss. In the weeks following his sister and best friend's engagement, it seemed as if the comments concerning his own romantic life had tripled. Despite this fact, he was of the sound mind that his romantic life was completely non-existent.

While this fact only annoyed him to the extent that his fellow Berkians only seemed to point it out on a constant basis, he wasn't sure what to do about a certain dark-haired friend of his.

He was well aware of Inga's crush. Not only that, but it seemed that with the spirit of congratulating Adrianna and Erick on their engagement, Inga seemed to be making more of an effort to spend time with him.

He'd find her outside the forge on his lunch breaks, wrapped in a thick coat and her cheeks pink from wind burn as if she'd waited for him to emerge for some time. He'd almost asked her why she didn't just come inside the toasty forge and wait, but thought better of it. He hadn't wanted her to make a habit of encroaching on his workspace.

She'd practically made it her purpose to memorize his routine. Everywhere he seemed to be, she was there with the exception of her own work hours. His usual route to the Great Hall, the Hatchery, the forge, Cliff and Erick's house… It seemed lately he couldn't go anywhere without being bombarded by Inga.

And that's what it felt like: bombardment. Inga had made it her mission, it seemed, to do everything with him. He should feel flattered, excited at the prospect that a girl, particularly a pretty one, thought so highly of him and wanted to spend personal time with him.

Sadly, that wasn't the case. Finn found himself growing more agitated as time went on. He wasn't angry with her; he was actually rather insecure. He wanted to be upfront and tell her that perhaps she should give him a little space; maybe if she weren't so pushy he'd come around in time. Maybe they had some potential for a future relationship but encroaching on his personal space at all random hours of the day…

Finn was at a loss.

His family had picked up on this. Hiccup would see her coming from a mile away and whisk Finn into a side-street under the pretense that they needed to discuss chiefly things. Sometimes this was true, but even Inga didn't step on the Chief's toes. Finn was grateful for his dad's backup in this. It seemed his old man knew more about his feelings than even he did. But Finn hadn't been too keen on discussing the dilemma and kept brushing it off as "not a big deal", even though inside all he felt was indignation whenever he saw her coming.

So it was here at the Haddock home that he sat in miserable silence as the family discussed housing plans for Erick and Adrianna. They'd been going round and round with potential ideas for days. Finn felt like that was all his thought process did anymore; think of ways to hide from Inga, regret not plucking up the courage to confront her, and hide from her again the very next day. It was becoming a very old routine that he hated.

"What do you think, Finn?"

He blinked out of his reverie. Erick, Adrianna and his parents were all gazing at him silently. "Sorry, what was the question?"

"How do you feel about Cliff moving in here?"

Finn snorted softly. "It's… interesting."

"Is that a positive or negative response?" Astrid asked.

"Both?" Finn absently rubbed at the slave mark hidden under his hair. "Have you mentioned it to him?"

"I want us all in agreement before we do." Hiccup said. "If you don't like the idea, then-"

"No, it's fine. How bad can it be?" Finn leaned back in his chair. "I mean, it's Cliff; he's loud. It can't get much worse than we already know."

"Trust me," Erick remarked in an airy tone. "It gets worse."

"As long as you keep him well-fed and pick your socks off the floor, I'm sure it will be fine." Adrianna agreed.

"Why socks?" Hiccup asked.

Erick rolled his eyes. "He has an obsession with dirty clothes going in the hamper."

"What, cleanliness?" Finn gasped. "What a novelty!"

Astrid put a hand to her chest. "Imagine, putting dirty clothes  _in the laundry basket_!"

"Who could have imagined-"

Erick huffed in embarrassment even as the others laughed. "I'm just saying, he can be a bit of a handful. I'm just warning you ahead of time. He will encroach on your personal space to make sure you cleaned properly."

"Sounds good to me!" Astrid chirped.

"The master bedroom?" Erick asked flatly. "Do you have a working lock?"

"We have two teenagers-"

"Oy!" Finn slapped his hands over his ears.

"Just a comment!"

Erick's face was turning slightly pink at the hole he'd just dug himself into, but he plowed on. "Make sure it works. I'm not kidding, he'll find a way in and clean every nook and cranny."

"I've fought creatures crazier and more vicious than Cliff," Hiccup mused. "What's another boy in the house?"

"Plus an actual  _clean_  one!" Astrid cheered again grinning at her son. "Sounds good to me."

Finn merely stuck his tongue out at her. Erick and Adrianna smirked at each other knowingly, making Finn wonder if he should reconsider his final answer. But still he said: "Go ahead and pitch it to him. I don't care." With a smirk at his sister, he added, "I'm losing her either way so fine with me."

"Oh please," Adrianna rolled her eyes. "I'll be back. You'll be the first one to change the diapers."

Finn snorted. "A woman's job."

Astrid's eyes narrowed. "What's that?"

"Kidding!"

"Now he's doubly getting diaper duty." Adrianna grinned.

"Joy."

Hiccup stood and ambled into the kitchen where he poured himself a cup of strong coffee. "I'll have you both know that I changed many diapers in my day."

"He was actually quite good at it!"

"Ew, mom, dad; please, spare us the details." Finn winced.

"Like what?" Hiccup returned to the table, grinning. "You mean when you peed all over my best flight suit-"

"Shrunk the leather." Astrid added.

"It was devastating." Hiccup nodded emphatically.

"Pretty sure it was worse than Tuffnut's old boots that were covered in mildew."

"Oh gods, you had to remind me-"

Adrianna's nose was wrinkled. "Was the mildew inside or outside the boots?"

"Mostly inside," Hiccup mused, sipping his coffee and ignoring Finn's look of disgust. If there was one thing Finn hated, it was unkempt, smelly boots. "By the time the mildew grew outside the boots, we were past the point of no return."

Finn covered his ears with his hands. "La la la la la laaaaaaaaa!"

Adrianna swatted his arm. "Baby."

"I don't like disgusting shoes, okay! The thought that some people don't even take them off at night, they just sleep in them as if their toes might freeze off in the night-"

"That used to happen ya know." Astrid intoned.

"Well whatever!" Finn exclaimed. "Some people don't even wear socks, it's just- eugh!" He shook his head around to ward off a shiver.

Erick looked at him in surprise. "You learn something new every day. I didn't know you were so grossed out by shoes."

"It's the unkempt shoes that are a problem."

"He's always been like that, surprisingly." Astrid replied. "He'd play in the mud all day, every day if we let him, but his boots." She rolled her eyes and gave her son a playful smile. "The tears we'd have to endure when we got up the next day and found dirt in his boots."

"Your feet get hot and the dirt turns to mud between your toes," Finn pinched the bridge of his nose. "It squishes around and you can feel it all day, it's the most  _disgusting thing_  one can  _possibly endure_!"

Erick's and Hiccup's shoulders were shaking at the force of their laughs. Finn sighed, sharing an amused look with his mom and sister. This, he supposed, was what family was for. These were the people who knew everything about you at the end of the day, and as for the future brother-in-law… eh, he'd catch up eventually.

Adrianna waited for their laughter to subside before commenting. "Well at any rate, we have a plan. Let's talk to Cliff tomorrow and see what he thinks. But in the meantime," She stole a look at Erick, whose eyebrows raised. "We have wedding plans to configure."

"Yeah," He sighed, blowing his bangs out of his eyes.

"When's the date?" Finn asked, settling into his chair.

"November fifteenth."

Finn bolted upright again. "What? So soon? That's just over a month away!"

"Well, we thought the sooner the better," Erick said, meeting Adrianna's eyes. Some sort of understanding seemed to pass between them. "The more time we have to figure everything out before the baby comes the better."

"Plus," Adrianna turned back to her brother with a slight pout. "I could become the size of a moose any day now. If I can still fit into a nice dress in a month… well, it would be nice."

"That's it?" Finn raised an eyebrow. "You're getting married in just over thirty days so you can wear a-"

"A beautiful wedding dress fit for a queen." Hiccup interrupted forcefully. "We'll do what we can. Besides, the baby is due in February and the Convocation is in March. If Erick and Addie are already settled long before then… Well, it will make me feel better."

Finn heard the unspoken words. It wasn't just about the Chieftains seeing his sister as a settled, married woman with a baby on the way. There would indeed be less questions that way. But it was more than that. If Brandyn should make an appearance…

"It's a good plan." He finally agreed, giving his sister a small smile. She beamed back at him. "Just don't make me wear flowers."

"Oh Finn, we forgot to tell you," Erick said with a grin. "You're the flower girl!"

The family burst into laughter, Finn reddening only slightly. He imagined himself walking down the aisle tossing flower petals with a dramatic flair… oh, he'd never hear the end of it.

"I'd sooner sleep in my boots, and that's saying something."

It was at that exact moment that a knock sounded at the door. Hiccup stood and glanced out the window, and gave a surprised, "Hmph! It's Inga."

Finn jumped out of his chair and hid in the kitchen below the cabinets. The family gawped at where his empty chair sat and he stuck his head out from around the corner. "Erick, pull my chair in so she doesn't know I was there!"

Erick didn't comment as he stuck out his prosthetic and pulled the chair toward the table. Finn winced as the chair scraped loudly across the wooden floors as Hiccup approached the door. He seriously wanted to throttle his friend, even if his wedding day was in less than a month-

The door opened and he held his breath. "Inga, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Is Finn here?" Her familiar voice sounded. "I was wondering if he wanted to take a walk."

Finn closed his eyes and prayed hard that his dad, who never lied to anyone if he could help it, would come up with a good cover story.  _Please don't rat me out, please don't rat me out-_

"He's not at the forge?"

Inga tittered. "Chief, he's never at the forge after seven."

"Don't you think it's a little cold for a walk after seven?"

"Not if Finn's with me."

Finn winced.

Hiccup, however, didn't miss a beat. "Perhaps, but you know I think your dad might not like you walking in the dark woods. Does he know you're out?"

"No, but-"

"Well, I think it best if you head on home tonight, okay Inga? Far be it from me to send another man's daughter into the deep, dark recesses of the forest alone."

Finn waited; the rest of the family seemed to be holding their breath as well.

"Okay." Came Inga's flat response. Another short pause. "Goodnight, Chief."

"You sure you can make it on your own?" Hiccup asked.

Inga laughed softly. "I got here okay, didn't I? See you later."

"Goodnight, Inga."

Her footsteps retreated from the porch. It was a few moments before the front door closed and Finn realized the room had become quite cold. He emerged from his hiding place with a heavy sigh as Hiccup faced him with a concerned eye. "Dad, I owe you one."

"When exactly do you plan on breaking that girl's heart?" Hiccup asked.

Finn pursed his lips. "If I can avoid it-"

"You can't avoid it." Erick intoned.

"It's not my fault she's so clingy!"

Adrianna looked at him with sympathy. "Yes, but how do you think it's going to make her feel as you gradually cut her out of your life without an explanation?"

Finn groaned and pressed his forehead into the wood grain countertop. "I never signed up for this."

"We know that, Finn, but she is your friend. She deserves your honesty." Hiccup took his seat once again. "Nothing will change if you ignore the problem."

"Why can't it be simple like those two?" Finn whined, feeling childish.

Erick gave him an incredulous smile. "You think  _this_  is simple?" Adrianna nodded with wide, emphatic eyes.

"No, I know it's not," Finn sighed. "But you guys make it look so easy."

"It's not." Adrianna said quietly. She paused, watching her brother as if in thought. "Do you want me to talk to her?"

Finn saw their parents' equally pinched brows, but they said nothing. He so dearly wanted to shout YES, but knew that was not the right response. "No," He sighed, giving her a wan smile. "I'll do it. If I have the guts to knock out Manny the Mad in a sparring match, I can be honest with Inga."

The family tittered, giving him amused smiles. A few days prior he'd sparred with Manny the Mad at the Arena. If anyone knew anything about Manny, it was that he'd trained in war technique and weaponry since he was a child. He knew every defensive and offensive move, and his angry spirit made him a formidable opponent. Not many had the guts to challenge him, as Finn had, let alone knock him out cold. Mara was still treating his concussion. If there was anything people didn't do, it was beat Manny the Mad at his own game.

Finn had had the courage to do  _that_ , perhaps a little too much courage he could admit. But he didn't have the guts to talk to Inga. He felt awkward and unsure. Inga knew what she wanted and fought for it. He admired that in her. He himself was a man of action, why sit and talk about issues when you could solve so much with a simple task? No need to waste time debating.

Inga was like that. So why did he feel so uncomfortable with her pursuits? It couldn't just be her; there had been a time, not long ago, that he'd considered her as perhaps more than a friend. But something had changed recently and whatever it was, it seemed it was only driving them farther apart than closer together.

Perhaps, he thought suddenly, it was simply  _because_ she went out of her way. He already knew how she felt, so why did she feel the need to prove herself to him? Was it simply that he wasn't making any moves or effort toward her that she decided to hold on tighter? They'd never even discussed dating before, so how was he even supposed to bring it up? It felt like he was breaking up with her when they'd never even had a date.

But that, Finn realized, was the problem. Inga was infatuated with him, and as a result she was doing everything she possibly could to reel him in, like a fish. Something squirmed uncomfortably in his stomach and he realized he was scowling.

His parents didn't seem to notice; they were deep in conversation with Erick about house plans again. Adrianna, however, was watching with her keen green eyes. She seemed to see his inner distress and stood, patting Erick on the back.

"I want a fuzzy blanket. Finn, want to help me find one?"

Finn said nothing as he followed her up the stairs, occupied as he was with his train of thought. He followed her to her bedroom and she pulled open her closet; pointed to the top shelf where a pink, flowery blanket was resting.

"Figures," Finn murmured, reaching up to get the blanket."Shortie."

"Talk to me." Adrianna said, ignoring the jibe. She accepted the blanket in thanks and immediately bundled up on her bed. Only her head and yellow mane of hair could be seen and he held back a laugh. "Ignore my dorkdom, talk to me."

Finn sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just frustrated, I guess. In the last few weeks it feels like Inga's been extra clingy."

"She has." Adrianna agreed.

"And I admit it, I've been hiding from her. I'd spare us both the trouble if I just told her honestly that I don't like her like that and she's making me feel uncomfortable with the constant-" Finn paused, taking a deep breath. He was getting more agitated by the moment.

"You're not wrong for feeling that way, you know."

Finn watched his twin. She was, in every sense, his opposite. She saw things he didn't; conversely, so did he in regards to her perspective. He took a deep breath. "I feel like she's putting me in a box. Like she's thought through all the things we have in common and she cares about me, and because we've grown up together and have those common factors, she's decided that I'm the one for her."

"And as a result she's going to darn well make sure it happens." Adrianna finished.

"Yes! In a way that's not a bad thing, but…" Finn paused, feeling awkward. He normally wasn't so open with his feelings. "I haven't been in a relationship in a long time. I want to be excited about it and work for it too. Not go into it just because I feel strong-armed."

Adrianna was smiling at him. "It's at times like this that I know you've changed."

Happiness bloomed in his chest. He smiled back at her, hoping it conveyed his gratefulness.

"You're already strong, Finn. You, for a lack of a better way to say it, don't need someone just like you. Inga's a great girl and her leadership skills can be put to good use in time, I know it. But I agree; I don't know if it's by your side. As a friend, yes, maybe as our village healer or on your future council. But as your wife?" Adrianna gave him a small shrug. "I don't know the future, but I know you."

Finn lay down on her bed, staring up at her ceiling. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. Maybe talking things through wasn't so bad after all. "So how do I tell her all this without ruining our friendship?"

"Well, don't even broach the topic of marriage, I'll tell you that much." Adrianna warned. "If she's even thought that far ahead, and I pray she hasn't, best not to even give her that scenario."

Finn grunted in agreement.

"And well, it's like you said downstairs," Adrianna continued, bundling her blanket further around her neck. She looked like a large, pink marshmallow. "Honesty is the best way to handle it. I'd say that you value her and her friendship, but you're not interested in a relationship with her."

He winced. "So blunt? I mean I can do blunt, but-"

"See, you do care about people's feelings!"

"I'm starting to think you're a bad influence." Finn muttered.

"Hey, you haven't looked this relaxed in days. I'd say I'd make a good counselor!"

Finn snorted. "You'd certainly chew people's ears off."

"I'm a rapt listener and a giver of sound advice."

"And a beautiful bundle of joy." Erick's voice joined them. He was looking in through the open doorway with a fond smile at his future wife.

Finn mimed throwing up over the side of her bed. Adrianna's foot stuck out her blanket and promptly shoved him off the bed.

"Careful!" Hiccup called at the resounding THWOOMP.

"No worries, that was just Finn!" Erick called.

"Yup, he's a klutz!"

Finn rose from the floor and gave his sister a totally fake stink eye. In fact, he wanted to swoop down and give her a great big hug. But one must not show such emotion in front of their future brother-in-law. Best friends or no, he still had to show Erick who was boss. Or rather, second boss. It must be such a scary thing to marry the Chief's daughter; no room for screw-ups!

"Well anyway, good chat, Anna." Finn mused as Erick sauntered into the room.

She gave him an encouraging nod. "You'll do fine. You're Fearless Finn!"

Finn ambled into the hallway with a hollow laugh. He wasn't sure if there had ever been a time in his life that his feelings did not coincide with his name.

"Adri!" Astrid called from the downstairs. "You don't have plans next Thursday, do you?"

Finn heard Adrianna and Erick follow him down the stairs back into the dining area. They reclaimed their seats as she frowned in thought.

"Not that I'm aware of. Why?"

"Because your friends and some ladies want to throw you a baby shower." Astrid smiled knowingly.

"Oh okay."

"And," Hiccup added. "Since the wedding is soon, it's also going to be a wedding shower. Both of you will be more than prepared for life and baby."

Erick's cheeks turned a slight pink shade as Adrianna beamed at him. "That's so sweet! I hope they don't go overboard. I don't know where we're going to put a bunch of gifts…"

"We'll figure it out." Erick took her hand.

Finn rolled his eyes. "How much stuff can you possibly get?"

"I think it's more the fact that it's two parties combined," Hiccup replied.

"Moving into your own place for the first time, you quickly find out what things you need that you don't have." Astrid stood and ambled into the kitchen. She filled a few mugs with cider as she continued, "Cookie sheets for example. We went to make cookies one day and we didn't have any."

"The husband's displeasure was duly noted." Hiccup winked as she returned and handed out the mugs of cider to the kids.

Astrid took a long drink from her own before replying, "Pregnant though I was, I didn't want to hear any premature whining over stupid things-"

"Stupid things?" Hiccup demanded. "A lack of cookie sheets a time such as that was disastrous! I had to be prepared!"

"Prepared for what?" Astrid asked sweetly.

"Well, cravings, obviously."

Finn snorted, taking a drink from his own mug.

Adrianna giggled. "Cookie cravings are both amazing and disastrous, it's true. What was your worst craving though?"

Hiccup grimaced as if tasting something horrible. Astrid promptly slapped him on the shoulder, which sadly was without his usual shoulder padding. The sound reverberated through the room and Finn laughed out loud.

"Pickled peas." Astrid replied calmly.

"Ew." Adrianna grimaced, the expression nearly matching her dad's. "I haven't had any weird cravings like that."

"Not yet." Hiccup muttered, earning a mock scathing look from his wife. He merely grinned back.

"If me and Anna caused you to want pickled peas, then it's probably a good thing it was the only pregnancy you ever had." Finn chortled, taking another drink of his cider.

"It wasn't." Hiccup replied instantly.

Finn choked, cider spraying onto the table. Erick not only lurched back to avoid the spray, but also to pound him on the back from the force of his hacking. His throat burned and eyes watered; it took him nearly a minute to regain his voice, which was just as incredulous as Adrianna's expression.

"WHAT?"

Hiccup was wincing. Astrid's arms were crossed and while she didn't look upset, she had raised a single foreboding eyebrow. "Good job."

"I didn't think, it just came out!" Hiccup hissed.

Erick leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Smooth delivery."

Finn and Adrianna both whipped toward him. " _You_ knew?"

It was Erick's turn to grimace. His eyes flicked to Astrid. "Erm… special circumstance?"

"Hang on!" Adrianna waved her hands in front of her. "We almost had a sibling?"

Astrid's face softened in a way Finn had never seen before. There was sorrow there and Hiccup's eyes were downcast. The thought… the very  _idea_ … Finn's mind was blown. It had never occurred to him before that he'd almost had another sister or a little brother… That it could have ever been an option! Excitement bloomed in his chest at the realization, but just as fast, the emotion snuffed out. For he was indeed lacking one such person in his life.

"You both were three," Astrid said softly. "I lost him early. Sixteen weeks."

Finn's mouth felt dry. "Him?"

Hiccup nodded dimly. "It was a boy."

"Oh mom… daddy," Adrianna said softly. "Why did you never tell us?"

Hiccup shook his head. "After Trista… things were so hard back then, we didn't want to upset you further." He met their eyes in turn and Finn could see nervousness there. "Are you upset?"

Finn shook his head a bit dumbly. "I'm a bit gobsmacked to be honest. It never occurred to me."

"We wanted to tell you," Astrid said. "But by the time things were turning around, it was hard for us to talk about. And then Dagur had to stick his big nose into our lives."

"Things went downhill from there." Hiccup remarked bitterly.

Finn thought back as hard as he could. He could barely remember when Adrianna had been kidnapped. He remembered the emotions better than actual circumstances. He remembered his parents being upset and being confused himself. He could still feel the pit of confusion in his stomach when his sister would burst into tears or bite randomly out of fear. He hadn't understood then what he understood now.

But at the same time, his parents had had a miscarriage? He never would have guessed anything else had happened.

"It was hard for a while." Astrid added. "It still hurts to think about. But after Dagur, and we made up," She nodded at Hiccup. "I decided that I needed to stop looking back on what could have been. I still look back and…" Her voice caught and she paused, trying to keep composure. Hiccup reached over and took her hand. "I still wish I could have him. But it wasn't meant to be. I did, however, have two beautiful kids right here. I needed to be here for you." She nodded resolutely, giving each of them a strong smile. "So that's what I've been trying to do."

Finn's mind was spinning. He truly had the best parents. They'd been through so much for him and his sister, sacrificed so much, kept secrets and put up boundaries and lectured them when they screwed up. It was frustrating to the bitter end. But he supposed that's what it meant to be a parent: To love your kids no matter what happened that day. To protect them and teach them when they did something wrong. They kept going for their kids every day, no matter how hard life got. They hadn't quit on him and Adrianna after all this time. How could he have ever doubted them?

"Did you name him?" Erick asked softly.

Finn blinked. People named their lost babies? He'd never thought about it before. In a swift glance, he realized Erick and Adrianna were holding hands, her free one resting on her belly. His dad was still holding his mom's hand, this thumb rubbing small circles in her palm. A strange sense of longing filled him suddenly.

"Darin." Astrid whispered, staring at empty space over their shoulders. "His name was Darin."

The house was silent for many minutes, each Haddock and one Larson lost in his or her own thoughts. Finn still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he could have had a little brother. They could have wrestled and explored together and climbed around on Toothless like he used to. Maybe he'd have liked weapons like his big brother, or books like Adrianna. Would he have had red hair or blonde? Maybe he would have had brown hair! Blue or green eyes? What kind of dragon would he have picked? With a jolt, Finn did the calculations: Darin would have been fourteen this year...

Question after endless question filled his mind. He'd almost had a little brother. And now they'd never know what could have been.

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up to see Adrianna smiling softly at him. He wondered if he looked as depressed as he felt. "We'll never know what could have been." She said quietly, looking at each of them in turn. "But maybe… maybe we'll have a second chance."

Love and respect bloomed in his chest at her words. How did she do that? By all rights, she should be the most pessimistic person at this table. Yet she always knew just what to say to lift someone's spirit.

Erick beamed at her even as she smiled down at the swell of her belly. Finn usually ignored her baby bump; he thought it was strange to look at for too long. He supposed he was awkward like that. But like everyone else, his gaze was drawn down in time to see the material of her shirt shift and jab outward.

Finn blinked. "Was that a kick?"

"Yeah, she's been knocking on my bladder for a good hour." Adrianna sighed.

Hiccup chuckled, shooting an amused look at Astrid.

"She?" Astrid teased.

"Honestly it keeps changing," Erick grinned.

Finn snorted with a firm shake of his head. "It's a boy." He stood and quickly retrieved a wet hand towel so he could mop up the mess of cider from all over the table. "It has to be."

"Why's that?" Adrianna asked.

"Uh duh," Finn tossed the towel into the wash bin from across the room. It landed in with a mighty splash. He earned himself a scowl from his mother, but he finished his reply: "Cuz boys are awesome!"

"Oh yeah, until they whizz all over your clothes."

Uproarious laughter followed Hiccup's dry remark. Finn was halfway through his reply when Adrianna grabbed his hand and moved it toward her belly. He tried to pull away. "Oh no, do I-"

"Feel your nephew kick, Finnegan!"

Finn sighed. "It was a girl two minutes ago." His hand was now resting on the curve of her belly. He fought the urge to retract his hand. It was such an odd sensation to rest his entire hand on his sister's stomach, but it had been swelling outward like a cantaloupe for months. Now that cantaloupe was currently poking into his palm every few seconds.

"Gods, that is weird." Finn said, trying to be blasé but he couldn't keep the slight awe out of his voice.

"Just you wait til it's yours, you won't think it's weird." Hiccup had a mischievous glint in his eye that made Finn grab his empty cup and promptly walk to the kitchen.

"Suddenly I need a stronger drink."

"Honestly I can't believe how flustered he gets!" Adrianna exclaimed. "A year ago you were flirting with every girl who'd talk to you!"

Finn snorted, pouring himself more cider. "It's awkward talking to girls when everyone is watching me." He turned back to the table but leaned against the countertop instead. "I know, don't give me that look," He said to his parents. "Just be myself and the right person will come along despite prying eyes, yada yada, but still, it's awkward! You guys don't ever feel awkward around your friends?"

Hiccup cleared his throat, glancing at his wife. Finn didn't see his mom's responding expression but he decided he didn't want to. "After a while, Finn," Hiccup said calmly. "You stop caring what other people think."

"Amen to that." Erick concurred.

Finn sighed. He didn't want to think about relationships and dating anymore. Right now it felt like it was more hassle than it was worth. He knew this wasn't strictly true. He looked forward to having a girlfriend someday. But it was an odd position to be in: Feeling like the third wheel on all sides, with all his friends in serious relationships and he, Finn, had the pick of the flock in all of Berk and he didn't really fancy any of them.

Inga… Finn mentally sighed. He'd really need to talk to her. He couldn't avoid her forever, and that alone had to be hurting her feelings.

The familial revelries continued on into the night until Erick finally bade Adrianna a long goodnight on the porch, which probably involved a lot of hands and lips. The candles were doused and everyone at long last retreated to bed, Adrianna dragging her pink, fluffy blanket behind her like a queen. Finn went to bed happy and feeling good. However, as he lay wide awake into the long hours of the night, he couldn't help his swirling thoughts from turning back to his friend he'd been avoiding and the little brother he'd never know.


	29. The Edge

Hiccup lifted the lid on a huge wooden bin, hearing his son and future son-in-law do the same on the other side of the cluttered storage room. They were currently in the forge, rummaging for floor plans of the hatchery.

"What do you need these for again?" Finn asked, half his body buried in another wooden box. The scraping sounds of parchment could be heard from within.

Hiccup heaved a heavy box onto the desk and began pilfering the contents at a rapid pace. "Marvin has been asking me to help with the reorganization for weeks, and I haven't had the time with the harvest and preparing for winter. He came to me again last night upset that I hadn't helped him yet."

"Why can't he take care of it?"

Annoyance flared in his chest, but not at his son. "Because he's old."

Erick and Finn both guffawed, shocked that he'd said such a thing out loud. Hiccup usually never spoke a rude word about another person, deeming it unbecoming of a Chieftain and immature to boot. But sometimes…

"Why don't you delegate it?" Erick asked when their laughter subsided.

"Because I drew the hatchery plans myself, and he's always worked directly with the Chief," Hiccup muttered, shoving the useless box away. "He insisted on asking my father to help with things as well."

"You have every right to say no and delegate it." Finn said, re-emerging from the box with dust coating his red hair.

Hiccup straightened with a huff. "I know, I just feel compelled to help everyone."

Finn groaned. "Dad, you're one man! You can't  _do_  everything!"

"He's got a point," Erick intoned from inside another box. Groaning, he lifted a metal box, the contents inside clattering. "Besides, with the wedding and all… People should be more considerate or understanding. More than ever you should be able to hand it off to someone else."

"Exactly!" Finn exclaimed, inspecting some old snowshoes. Throwing them back into the box, he added: "It's not like we can have the wedding anywhere else. They'll just have to deal."

The words struck a chord in Hiccup's mind. He stopped dragging his hand through his hair, staring at nothing while the boys continued to lecture him on chiefly duties as if they were experts on the topic. He considered the thought, wondering if it was possible…

"Uh oh. I know that look."

"Great, he's got an idea." Finn sighed, hopping up to sit on a crate.

"Or he's taken our advice to heart," Erick grinned. "Wouldn't it be cool if the Chief started taking notes from us?"

Hiccup turned on his heel and marched to the farthest corner of the room he could reach. He vaguely heard the boys' sputtered confusions, probably because he didn't reply to Erick's sarcasm in kind. He threw open the doors of an old cabinet, which squeaked in protest. Waving the billowing dust away, Hiccup coughed and began looking through the old maps.

"What in tarnation are you looking for?"

"Dude, you spend too much time with Cliff."

"Just wait until he moves in with you, then you'll start saying things like fantabulous and fruitylicious and-"

"Aha!" Hiccup exclaimed, pulling out the map he'd been looking for. Dumping the others back in the cabinet, he spread it out on a crate. The boys peered over his shoulder, each blinking in surprise.

Hiccup tapped an island to the east. "We'll need to scope it out, see what kind of shape it's in."

Finn's brow was furrowed. "Uh… what?"

The Chief looked up in surprise. "Oh, right, I haven't told you about it before. The Edge."

Both boys blinked. "What's the Edge?" Erick asked, intrigued.

"It's a hideout the original six riders made. Somewhere we could go to find and train dragons and keep an eye on our enemies. Lots of crazy adventures on the Edge."

Finn looked deeply insulted. "You mean to tell me you and mom have had a secret hideout all this time and you never mentioned it?"

"I forgot about many an unimportant thing after you and Addie were born," Hiccup remarked defensively.

"Unimportant?"

Erick interrupted before Finn could continue. "What's that have to do with your intense workload and the villagers' constant occupying of your time?"

Hiccup chewed his lip. "Well," He swallowed, still thinking. "What if we did the wedding there?"

The boys were silent. "Please to excuse?" Finn asked.

Erick snorted, smiling amusedly at Finn. "I second that."

"Like I said, we'd have to look it over, see if it's still stable-"

"If you think after all these years that any campsites are still in working order, much less for a wedding..." Finn chortled.

"Campsite?" Hiccup straightened indignantly. "Excuse me, but we built full-blown buildings and an armory and a forge on that island, even a dragon pen!"

Finn's look of insult strengthened. "Are you freaking kidding me?"

Erick patted his shoulder. "And why would we do the wedding there instead of Berk?"

"Because it would give the family some space, peace and quiet, new scenery," Hiccup counted on his fingers as he spoke. He was more excited with the idea the more he spoke. "Honestly though, we won't be able to make any decisions until we take a look. Chances are after almost twenty years those buildings are unstable. I won't get my hopes up."

"Well I'm going to get a look at that armory," Finn said, turning and walking towards the door.

"What, right now?" Hiccup called with a laugh. "You don't even know how to get there!"

"So take me on a field trip, old man!" Finn called back. "Gods know we could use a vacation, however small."

He disappeared outside and Hiccup pursed his lips. Erick smirked at him with crossed arms, "Well, you can't argue with that logic."

"How do you feel about it, Erick?" Hiccup asked seriously. "We can still look for kicks, but you're the groom."

"I'm interested enough," Erick said, leading the way toward the front. "We should talk to Annie first, and probably Mama Astrid."

"Mama Astrid." Hiccup snickered at the nickname. "I'm sure she'd love to come just to see the place." He stopped when they emerged in the sunlight and he spotted Snotlout talking to Ruffnut and Tuffnut. "Actually I'm sure the whole gang would love to go."

"Except both Ingermans have little kids still." Erick reminded him.

"Oh yeah..." Hiccup mused. "Well I'll invite them anyway. They can figure out something for their small army."

"Now that, Chief," Erick grinned. "Is an excellent plan."

* * *

"Annaaaaaaa…"

"Cliffyyyyyyy…"

"You were supposed to entertain me."

"Was I?"

Cliff glanced sideways at his friend, who was smirking at him through narrowed eyes . Adrianna crossed her arms defiantly.

"I just came by because I was tired of reading." Adrianna said, tapping her fingers on her arm. "I'm not much of an entertainer."

"Tell me a story." Cliff demanded, turning back to the beading he was doing.

"You tell me a story." Adrianna shot back.

"You're going to be a mother! How can you possibly be a mother if you scar your child for life by not telling her a story whenever she asks for one?"

"Since when are  _you_  my child?" Adrianna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Since when do you pass up an opportunity to make up a story?" Cliff glanced at her again. "You feeling okay?"

"Fine. Well, bored. But fine." Adrianna leaned forward slightly. "You're doing really well with that pattern."

"Don't change the subject!" Cliff pushed aside his beading.

"I'll change it for you."

The pair looked up to see Finn lounging in the doorway. Honestly, Adrianna wondered if he wasn't trying to get girls' attention.

"Oh come on," Cliff threw down his half-finished beading. "Anna-bear was just about to-"

"I've got something more interesting you'll want to hear about," Finn leaned inside with a conspiratorial smirk. "Two somethings actually."

Adrianna sniggered when Cliff leaned over so far he nearly fell out of his chair. "Oh do tell, Fearless Finn, what secrets do you behold?"

"I'd tell you if I wanted an axe in my face," Finn withdrew and beckoned them forward. "My parents want you both. My dad waived your last hour, Cliff."

Cliff blinked, glancing at Horst. "He can do that?"

"He's the Chief, Cliff. He can do whatever he wants." Finn gave a blissful sigh. "Oh how I long for the day-"

"Dream on, Finnegan, that day is a long, long,  _long_  way from today." Adrianna strode out the doorway past her brother, careful to not bump her belly against the door jam on the way out.

"What, have you no faith in my leadership skills?"

"What leadership skills?" Adrianna asked.

Finn ignored her, leading the way to the stables. "Someday Anna, I will make a fine Chief."

Cliff caught up with them a moment later. "Sorry, had to clean up. Horst didn't mind me leaving early, he's a good boss that way. Do spill your secrets now!"

"We're just going in here," Finn marched through the stable doorway. "My parents and Erick are waiting."

A mixture of hay and fish and manure hit them like a wall and Adrianna paused, resting a hand on her stomach. "Ugh."

Finn and Cliff screeched to a halt. "Oh… I can tell dad to meet outs-"

"No, I'm okay," Adrianna gulped. Cliff offered her a handkerchief from his pocket (notifying her on his grandmother's grave [gods rest her soul] that it was clean) and she gratefully pressed it to her nose. When Finn was finally convinced that she wasn't about to spill her guts in the doorway, they pressed on. Her brother's mothering would never stop being both annoying and endearing.

Finn led them down a series of stone stairs and caverns. Luckily the scent of fish and manure lessened, as did the temperature. It was nearly November now and with the season change came sleet and hail; however, they'd yet to have their first big snowfall. It was only a matter of days and Adrianna hoped that it wouldn't happen until after the wedding.

Adrianna paused when she found both boys holding a hand up to her. She looked down and realized the last step was steeper and taller than the others. She gratefully accepted their hands and touched down without a hard impact.

"Well at least I know if anything ever happened to me, there's somebody to take care of you."

Adrianna looked up to see her fiance already walking toward her from what looked to be a large office area. She gave Erick a swat on the arm when he ushered her inside. "Don't say that."

He kissed her temple and wrapping an arm around her waist, leading her to a portion of the room where desks and cabinets filled the space. Her parents were there looking at a couple maps; her dad gave her a smile when he noticed her arrival.

"Addie!" He kissed her forehead chastely before brandishing an arm around them. "Welcome to my office."

"This is where you disappear to sometimes?" Adrianna looked around, surprised at the massive room.

"Sometimes," Hiccup said, leaning back over the maps. Astrid was chewing her lip as if deep in thought.

"Wouldn't be the first hideout, eh dad?" Finn asked from his position at another wall where he was looking up at a large hand-drawn map posted on the wall. Adrianna glanced around the various tables and found countless books and measuring instruments, leather bags and satchels surrounded by vials of liquids that she could only guess at the contents.

"This almost looks like an experiment room," Adrianna commented. "Also, what's the first hideout?"

"Yeah, what's the first hideout?" Cliff asked. Adrianna blinked; he'd been so quiet, she'd almost forgotten he was there.

"We'll get to that in a minute," Hiccup said and Astrid blinked out of her reverie. They straightened and looked at Cliff. "So we've gone through some scenarios trying to think of where Erick and Addie are going to live after they get married. We could do some rearranging at our house but the last thing we want to do is kick Finn out of his space."

"Not cool."

"Not cool," Astrid agreed, smiling at her son. He returned it with a cheeky grin. "So we had another thought."

Cliff shuffled his feet. "Oooookay?"

"We thought it would be a good option," Erick began slowly. "If me and Addie live in our place."

Cliff blinked. "Oooookay?"

"But we're not going to make you move back in with your parents…" Erick tapered off.

"Again, not cool."

"Yes, thank you, Finn."

"Don't mention it."

"Point being," Hiccup said. "It's just a thought for now; you paid for half the expense of that place, so if you honestly want to keep living there, Cliff, that's completely fine. Just say the word and we'll think of another plan."

"But," Astrid said, Cliff's grey eyes darting to her. "We thought that if you didn't mind the thought… maybe you'd want to move into our house. Adrianna and Erick can have their first home in privacy, you won't have to move back home and you can have your own space. Honestly we're not home very much."

"So… what do you think?" Adrianna asked.

Shock was written all over Cliff's face. Adrianna wasn't sure what to think of his stillness, quietness, or dumbfounded expression.

Her dad seemed to pick up on this. "Like I said, you can say no-"

"You want me to move into your house?" Cliff asked slowly.

Hiccup blinked. "If you want to."

Those steel grey eyes darted to Finn next and the corner of his mouth tilted upward. "And he agreed to this?"

"I fought it tooth and nail but they finally bribed me with a  _mountain_  of salty snacks."

Adrianna sighed. "Finn, you are being unbelievably sassy today."

"I'm preparing for the hard times to come."

"Oh, if my moving in is going to cause Finn grief, then I'm  _totally_  in." Cliff said, eyes twinkling.

"Yeah?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, I mean who can turn down the opportunity to cause Finn hard times, right?" Cliff grinned.

"I'm sure I'll survive. Nothing a little sass can't fix."

Erick leaned down to murmur into Adrianna's ear: "He won't last two days."

"I'll bet you a plate of mint chocolate chip cookies that he'll last four before he loses patience." Adrianna countered.

"Deal."

"I can still hear you."

"Get over it, sassafrass!"

Cliff gave a mighty cheer and lunged forward to hug both Haddock parents. "I always wanted a set of third parents!"

"What?" Hiccup asked meekly as Cliff continued to pound him on the back.

"Well I gots my parents obviously and then I've got Taryn's parents who are super duper scary until you get to know them but once you do they're totally chill, it's like they just  _want_  you to think they're scary. Clyde can dance a boogie like none you've ever seen. Crap, that was a family secret." Cliff clapped his hands together in Hiccup's face. The Chief jumped back in shock. "Forget you ever heard that or he'll kill me. So anyway I decided recently that it would be absolutely cool if I had a  _third_  set of parents-"

Finn sighed and Erick grinned. "Does this mean I win? Crap, I should've said thirty seconds."

Cliff was still talking in the background as Finn stuck his tongue out at them. Adrianna watched in amusement at her parents' smiles gradually going stiffer and stiffer. They were probably wondering when he was going to take a breath.

Erick's nose brushed the shell of her ear and she twitched at the ticklish sensation. "I did warn them."

"Yes, you did," Adrianna murmured, looking up at him with a smirk. "Mr. Larson."

"Mom, dad, Ericanna's being gross again."

Cliff whipped around with another loud gasp. "FINN! THIS MEANS WE CAN BE REAL BRUHS!"

"Oh gods."

"WHOOHOOOOOOOOOO!" Cliff wrapped his arms around Finn's waist and hoisted upward as hard as he could. Finn just stared down at him in displeasure as the curly-haired boy tried once, twice,  _three_  times to lift Finn off the ground. Cliff stopped at last, panting. "Dude, you're really friggin heavy."

With an effortless shove, Finn sent Cliff into the pavement. "Pft. Noodle."

Adrianna cackled, covering her mouth with a hand to lower the volume. The sight of Cliff trying to lift her brother off the ground and the ease with which he shoved Cliff to the floor was hilarious. Erick found her a chair and she laughed until tears were streaming. Hiccup was shaking his head, probably wondering what in the world he'd gotten himself into by sort of adopting Cliff Smedley. Astrid was merely smiling and enjoying the fun.

Wiping her face with Cliff's hankie, she eventually calmed down enough to look up at Erick. He was giving her one of those doofy smiles, as she liked to call them. She could only wonder at what he was thinking right now.

* * *

Gods, she was so beautiful. It didn't matter the time of day or what she was wearing, if she was skipping through the streets happily or puking her guts up. He didn't care. Hearing her laugh, seeing her smile… nothing made him happier.

She drove him crazy and in a few short weeks they'd be  _married_. The thought still boggled the mind, like it was a dream that would never be reality. But the ring on her finger and the dazzling look in her green eyes couldn't be imagined in any of his wildest dreams.

He probably would have kissed her right then and there if Hiccup hadn't cleared his throat in that exact moment. Erick blinked and looked away, feeling the back of his neck burn. He hoped his thoughts weren't easily read by his expression, but then he remembered there was another reason they'd all gathered down here.

"So Addie, me and the boys came up with an idea earlier today," Hiccup began. "We wanted to run it by you and hear your thoughts."

Erick kept his eyes on her as Hiccup explained about the Edge, how they wanted check it out and see if it was still in living conditions.

"I think it would be a nice touch to your wedding if we did it in a private area away from the crowds and people who aren't interested in coming," Hiccup said. "It's only a couple hours' journey from here by ship. If it checks out, we could investigate it further. What do you think?"

"Mom, what do you think?" Adrianna asked.

"I'm reserving my opinion for when I see it."

Adrianna shrugged. "I concur. Let's see what kind of shape it's in. I trust you'll take copious notes."

"We can make Finn the scribe." Erick joked.

"As tempting as that sounds," Hiccup snickered. "We'll need him to scope out the territory for wild dragons."

"Bringing out the big muscles, I like it." Finn grinned.

"Hey, I have big muscles too," Cliff countered. "I'm just more accustomed to lifting bowls of snackage."

"Well snacks are important; you're good for something after all, Cliffie!"

"Finn, do you need to go on a run? Dinner?" Cliff asked. "Do you need to pee?"

This time Erick couldn't hold back his laughter from the questions and Finn's unrestrained disgust.

Cliff continued: "You're being super salty, and ya need to tone it down."

Hiccup sighed long and hard as Erick's laughter finally subsided. "If you sassy children can't tone it down, you're all staying home."

"Sass is officially toned down as of now." Finn brandished a thumbs up before bounding to the doorway. "I'm going to pack my saddle!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Astrid called. "It's dinner time; we're not going in the dark."

"Yeah," Finn drawled. "So unlike the rest of you lazy bums, I plan to pack tonight so we can get an early start!" With a final shrug of his eyebrows, he disappeared.

"What has gotten into him today?" Hiccup murmured.

"He's gotta pee, I can promise you." Cliff said. "When I gotta pee, the sassiness just comes out because when it starts to get urgent-"

"Hey Cliff? Maybe a little less detail." Astrid whispered, glancing at Hiccup. "My husband has a weak constitution."

"Hey!"

"Oh so it's hereditary then. That's why Finn's so sassy today, he really does have to pee."

"Well regardless," Erick took Adrianna's hand and ushered her toward the doorway. "He's all but signed the document. You're an official Haddock now, Cliff."

"Whoohooo!"

Erick and Adrianna left her parents alone with Cliff without looking back. As they trekked through the stables they laughed about the boys and their goofy conversation. While Erick enjoyed the conversation as he always did, really he just wanted a quiet spot with his girl without interruptions for a few minutes.

He shook his head, doing his best to dispel any tempting thoughts. In the few weeks of their engagement she'd nearly kissed him senseless on a couple occasions to the point where he didn't know his own name. It was starting to become something he thought about every day, though he honestly tried not to. They weren't married  _yet_  and there was a limit. She was pregnant after all.

It occurred to him suddenly that he didn't know exactly where that limit was. Most people on their wedding night consummated their marriage; he'd heard of some couples waiting because the wedding day itself was exhausting enough. But this was an extraneous circumstance… Adrianna was pregnant,  _and_  she'd been raped…

He didn't have any expectations. He wasn't about to be  _that_  guy. He was in this for her, to be her husband and support in the most intimate relationship possible. They'd already been best friends forever. Only marriage could bring them closer. But part of that union of marriage  _was_ procreation.

He could wait until after the baby was born, right? Well he'd have to, she was pregnant. But it would drive him bloody insane if she kept kissing him the way she did…

"Hey, are you okay?"

Erick blinked hard, looking the other direction. The back of his neck burned. "Y-yeah, I'm fine." Gods, did his voice have to crack too?

Adrianna halted, pulling him to a stop. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Her green eyes narrowed fiercely and suddenly she looked like Astrid. "Erick Larson, don't lie to me. I can see it in your eyes, just tell me!"

Erick's mind scattered. How could he possibly tell her about the things he's just been thinking about without sounding like a total pervert? He didn't mean it that way but that's totally weird, right? The last thing she probably wanted to even  _think_  about was  _that_. He shook his head, shoving the thoughts away.

"It's not important."

She sensed the shift in his attitude, he knew it. He could tell by the crease that formed between her brows. He couldn't hide it if he wanted to because she knew him so well. He really couldn't leave it like that though. Not when she was giving him that suspicious look.

"Really, it's fine." Erick tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll figure it out."

"We always figure things out together." Adrianna said.

"Yeah but… well…" Erick floundered for a second. "Maybe another… day."

Now she looked concerned. "Erick, what's going on?"

"Nothing!" Erick stressed, feeling the flush creep up to his ears. "I just… I don't want to talk about it right now."

Adrianna opened her mouth to argue but paused, reconsidering. Curse him for being so easily embarrassed and looking like a blushing, prepubescent teen.

He sighed again. "Honestly, Annie, it's not a big deal." Not right now anyway. "I… um…" He shook his head, shoving the topic away. "Nevermind, let's go to dinner."

Adrianna was quiet throughout the meal. They were halfway through their chicken pot pie when he realized he wasn't talking either. He felt like any happiness they'd felt in her dad's office had been sucked away because he had to go and make things awkward, and now she wasn't talking to him.

Finally she broke the silence. "Did I do something wrong?" She asked innocently.

Erick's heart lurched. "No," He reached across the table for her hand. "Annie, listen to me." How was he supposed to word this? "You didn't do anything. I was just thinking about… some things and… I don't know…"

"Well…" Adrianna said timidly. "You could tell me…"

He swallowed. "I think I need some advice first."

"Advice?" She asked in confusion. "You've never needed advice before. Usually we just talk things through."

"Well I've never been married before." Erick felt another blush creep up his neck and he swallowed an uncomfortable laugh. "Annie… really, it's honestly,  _completely_ fine. You have every reason to be weirded out by this but it's not you, I'm just thinking about… long term… stuff."

"Oh." Adrianna blinked. " _Oh_. You mean… Ohhh." This time her cheeks turned pink.

"Yeah…"

Next she snorted. "Well why didn't you say so? If you need husband advice from a someone, you have my blessing." She winked and stood. Clearly she was doing her best to dispel any embarrassment between them. "I'm going to get brownies. Do you want some?"

Erick breathed a laugh. "No, I'm good. Thanks, babe." He watched her walk away and sighed when she was out of earshot. They could discuss the topic on another day when he wasn't a blushing pre-teen every five seconds. He was almost nineteen for Valhalla's sake, he needed to get a grip.

"Troubles with the woman?" A voice asked before his brother Gustav slid into the seat beside him.

Erick perked with relief. "Gustav! You are seriously right on time."

His big brother's crooning smile broadened. "And why's that?"

"Uh…" Erick's eyes darted to his fiance, who was returning to their table. "I need advice on a few… things."

Gustav chortled and nudged him in the ribs. "I've been waiting a long time for this conversation, baby brother. I daresay I've looked forward to it."

"If we're both thinking of the same thing, I daresay that's entirely creepy and inappropriate."

"You always did have dad's wit." Gustav stood as Adrianna took her seat. "Come to my barn later and we'll talk. I'll be in there working on some stuff."

"Okay! Thanks!" Erick called gratefully over his shoulder. Honestly he already felt better. Gustav might be a tease and a bit cocky, but he'd never steered his youngest brother wrong before. As long as he didn't go into any  _serious_  details…

"I can't tell if you feel better or worse." Adrianna commented before stuffing a brownie into her mouth.

"Mostly better," Erick said. "I'm going to talk to him later."

"Okiedokie," Adrianna shoved the plate across the table. "Here, I brought you one anyway because I'm already fat, I don't need six."

Erick snorted. "Come on, the baby likes brownies."

"The little chunker can calm down, between jabbing my ribs and sitting on my bladder, I could use a vacation."

"And perhaps we'll get one for the wedding." Erick replied quietly, unsure if Hiccup wanted anyone to know about the Edge.

"Do you think it's in good shape?"

"Honestly I have no idea. I can't imagine it's in pristine condition. Then again, your dad built most of it. I'm sure some of it's still longstanding."

"As long as nobody else has commandeered the island in the meantime."

"True, but if someone has then we can boot them off for infiltrating Haddock property with dragons blazing and they'd have it all nice and cozy for us." Erick said.

"Well hey, I guess we'll find out tomorrow when you guys go." Adrianna sighed, picking up another brownie. "I wish I could go."

"Maybe in a couple weeks you can."

"Yeah, but I miss flying. Poor Lily."

"It's at least a little worth it when she burns Finn's butt though, right?"

Adrianna hunched over in giggles, nearly choking on the brownie. Erick patted her shoulder as she carefully chewed, laughing alongside her at the mental image of Finn diving off Lily's back and cursing colorfully. Hiccup hadn't been too pleased with the language but when his son literally couldn't sit for two days and Mara had had to give him ointment…

"Nothing like a tube of butt cream." Erick dissolved into snickers. "He's lucky that wasn't worse."

"Or that it didn't scar."

He gaped. "How would  _you_  know?"

"She doesn't, she's just trying to irritate me." Erick jumped, sighing in annoyance. He hated it when people crept up on him from behind. Finn's arms were already crossed. "I truly love your concerns about my hiney, it's truly pristine, but if we're going tomorrow then we should go to bed early. I'm waking you all up at four."

"What-  _four_?" Erick whipped around as the heir walked away.

"Fine, five."

"Make it six and I'll bring bacon!"

Finn huffed. "Fine! Lazy butt."

Erick blew a raspberry at his back. "The island's not going anywhere."

"Well you should get to Gustav's. I can manage-" Adrianna stood but Erick was already up.

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm walking you home like I do every day."

"That's just because you want kisses."

Erick breathed a laugh. "Well, your porch kisses are to die for."

"I believe you started that tradition."

"Yes, but one of these times your dad is going to kick my butt."

"Probably."

"Then maybe this time I'll restrain myself."

They strolled hand in hand out of the Great Hall, down the stairs, through the village and all the way to the Haddocks house. It was amazing that Adrianna could walk that much during the day, but she claimed she was taking advantage of her mobility while she could still see her toes. Erick thought her baby bump was positively adorable. As her body had started changing for the baby, he wasn't oblivious to those changes. With the rapidly dropping temperature she'd been wearing thicker sweatshirts and coats, but when he'd come to the Haddock house a few mornings ago to find her in nothing but pajama pants and a tank top, he'd forced himself to look away. The tight material across her chest had done a number on his brain.

Erick gulped, forcing the thoughts away again.

Adrianna went up a couple steps, still holding his hand. He was about to say good night when she spun around and hooked a finger in his collar. "What were you saying about restraining yourself?"

His heart instantly started pounding at the look she was giving him. Gods help him, he couldn't say no.

Cupping her chin he drew her in closer, moving up a step to close the distance. Adrianna's hand on his chest strayed to his shoulder as she kissed him. The kiss was firm and lingering before she began to lean away. Heart pounding, like a sailor caught in a siren's spell, he followed, kissing her more passionately than before. If he hadn't seen the victorious smirk in her eyes he would have thought it was an innocent action. Now he vaguely wondered if she was trying to drive him insane. Soon all he could think about was her mouth and hands trailing over his shoulders and neck. He'd lost count of how many kisses they'd shared. With every kiss it only seemed to get better. Usually they were chaste but tonight was different. He wondered if she wanted him as much as he wanted her. If she didn't want it to stop just as much as him. She threaded her fingers through the hair at his nape and pulled, drawing a moan from him that he couldn't stop. Her lips slid to his throat and he wanted more, more,  _more-_

Erick recoiled, catching Adrianna's shoulders. "Stop. Stop."

Adrianna stared up at him in surprise, but she was panting as hard as him. She reached up and smoothed out his hair. "I'm sorry-"

"No, don't be  _sorry_." Erick sighed, rubbing his face and taking a deep breath to calm his wildly beating heart. She placed a hand on his arm when he kept his face in his hands. Her brow was probably pinched with concern, probably wondering if she'd messed up and overdone it. He didn't want her to feel guilty; he just needed to calm down.

Erick forced himself to take a few deep breaths of cold air. They were quiet for nearly a minute while his heart rate slowed and he gathered his thoughts. Finally when felt he could speak clearly, he dropped his hands. "I think we need to… slow down."

"Yeah?" Adrianna asked meekly.

Erick took another deep breath. "This is partially what I need to get advice about if I'm honest."

Adrianna only seemed to withdraw further. "Oh. Okay."

He chewed his lip. He wasn't sure what to say that would make her feel better.

"So… should we save kissing for the wedding day?"

Erick blinked. "I didn't say that."

"Well, what do you want?" Adrianna asked. "Because I thought you liked it…"

"Annie, I don't like it, I  _love_ it! It's all I can think about sometimes." Erick said, probably a little too enthusiastically if her surprised expression said anything. He cleared his throat. "I don't mean this in a bad way but… you drive me crazy sometimes."

"Oh…"

"I mean… what I'm trying to say is we're not married yet, and when I get all riled up, it's  _really_  difficult to be innocent about it. All I want is… more."

Green eyes widening in realization, Adrianna looked down, her cheeks going pink. " _Oh_."

"Yeah…" Erick rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He wondered how much more he could say without making the situation worse. He certainly felt like crawling under the porch and dying, and the chilly November air was making the space between them feel even farther.

Adrianna looked up at him through her bangs and snorted softly before poking him in the arm. Erick cracked a smile and she giggled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"No, it's okay," He laughed. "It's just really hard to control myself sometimes."

"I understand." Adrianna said. There was a mischievous glint in her eye but she resisted teasing him further. Instead she stood on tiptoes and kissed him once chastely. "Go talk to your brother. Come see me before you guys leave tomorrow."

Erick kissed her again, perhaps a bit more firmly this time. Maybe because he didn't want her to have any doubts that he wanted to do so. He pulled away and gave her a warm smile. "See you tomorrow, Annie."

"Bye."

He waited until she'd gone inside the house before skipping down the steps and- SMACK!

"Ow! Ow." Erick winced, grinding his teeth at the pain in his knee. He glared down at his prosthetic, which had slipped on the icy ground. The door flew back open and Adrianna reappeared on the porch.

"Oh my gods, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little ice." He'd already picked himself up out of the dirt and waved to her. "Bye!"

"Don't break the other leg on the way home, klutz," Adrianna laughed.

"I'll be standing in our wedding, or so help me!" Erick joked before continuing his journey. He heard the front door snap to a close and he hurried his steps. The temperature was dropping and Gustav had to leave for work early in the mornings.

With the cold air and his quickened speed, he made it to the barn in only a few minutes. Gustav was tinkering at a work table when Erick stepped inside and slid the large door closed. The candles guttered for a short moment before sparking back to life once more. Erick rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers to warm the digits. Gustav gave him a conspiratorial smirk.

"So, baby brother, what did you want to talk about?"

Erick stepped forward, his stomach tying in knots once again. "Well I-" A sharp pain laced up his right leg and he gasped, grabbing the table.

Gustav's head snapped up. His hazel eyes shot down to the offending leg. "What?"

With a groan, Erick hopped onto the table and pulled up his pant leg to reveal a bruise blossoming on the side of his knee. "Oh well that's just great."

"Gods, what happened?"

"Slipped on a patch of ice outside the Haddocks." Erick muttered, shoving the material back down in irritation. "I swear, the smallest bump makes it bruise. It's going to hurt for the next week."

"Sorry," Gustav winced. "Maybe Mara will have something-"

"It doesn't help." Erick huffed. "My leg's too sensitive."

Mara had explained it time and time again. The wood chipper that had taken his leg had shredded bone, muscle and nerves. The bones had been uneven and jagged and she'd had to work tirelessly for hours to make it even. The fact that he could walk was a miracle. However, it was likely that he'd have a heightened sensitivity for the rest of his life. He wished he had Hiccup's pain tolerance and stamina. The man had been an amputee for nearly thirty years and he was still going strong… Erick wished he could be so lucky.

Shaking off his frustration, Erick turned back to Gustav. "Anyway, I wanted to talk about… uh… husband stuff."

"You came to the right place, boyo," Gustav grinned once again. Gesturing to himself with a screwdriver, he added: "For I am the husband of all husbands. The king of all charisma. The smartest, most helpful-"

"Gustav, I specifically want to talk about Adrianna." Erick interrupted. His brother would never shut up about himself if he got going. "Specifically about her being pregnant and how the heck I'm supposed to…" His thoughts halted. Gustav's grin only widened and Erick's heart lurched. "No, not  _that_ , Gustav! Stop laughing, this isn't-" Erick rubbed his face, trying not to laugh even as his brother cackled. "This isn't  _funny_."

Gustav hopped up on the table next to him and shoved him in the shoulder, still laughing. "Oh gods, you're hilarious when you're awkward. Sometimes I forget you're only seventeen."

"Eighteen!" Erick cried indignantly, nearly shoving him off the table. "Almost nineteen!"

"Eighteen, eighteen!" Gustav said, hands in the air. "I know what you're saying, I just couldn't resist the tease."

"Yeah? What am I saying then?"

"You're worried that because she's pregnant, you'll still be a virgin until she pops, right?"

Erick groaned. "Do you have to be so flippant?"

"That's it though, isn't it?"

"I mean, yeah, but no, I'm not trying to make it an issue like it's the only important thing. That's not what I'm in it for."

"I know that, bro, but let's be realistic about this." Gustav reasoned with an unusual air of seriousness. "You're a guy, she's a girl, you love each other, these things are perfectly normal, and that's what happens when you get married. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm not worried about that," Erick said. "The issue is that she's pregnant and I don't know what I'm going to do if she's got her hands all over me and kisses me senseless all the time. These are the things that lead one thing to another and at a certain point, we can't exactly… do anything."

Gustav blinked. "What do you mean, you can't? Yes you can."

Erick blinked back. "What?"

He'd managed to keep the rogue smirk away for almost a minute, but it was coming back quickly. "My dearest baby brother-"

"I'm not a baby, Gustav, stop calling me that."

"Well I assumed you'd know this already-"

Erick made a face. "What makes you assume that I would know anything about intimacy? Annie's the only girl I've ever had a serious relationship with and yes, I am still a virgin, thank you. How am I supposed to know anything about this topic?"

Gustav grimaced. "Good point. Okay, well here's a little gold nugget of wisdom for you. You ready?" He threw an arm over Erick's shoulders and pulled him close. "When your woman is pregnant, you can, in fact, still be intimate."

Erick blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Really."

"Oh."

"Yeah, makes things easier, huh?"

Erick waved his hands around. "Let's not talk about easier. Isn't that kinda weird? She's pregnant with-"

"Don't mention him." Gustav said in a sudden firm voice. "He's nothing but a stain on her good name and you'd do well to forget about him. You don't need to worry about that because you're the one that's marrying her and she wants to marry you. You're going to be that baby's father. Brandyn doesn't carry an ounce of weight as far as this is concerned. Alright?"

Erick nodded.

"As far as the intimacy stuff goes, man, honestly you just figure it out like everyone else does."

"Well I figured that much." Erick mused, thinking about what he'd been told so far. "So honestly, you can… do that if she's pregnant?"

"Well, I mean… use common sense," Gustav shrugged. "Be careful and all."

"Ah." Erick pursed his lips. This had to be the weirdest conversation he'd ever had.

Gustav watched him steadily. "You're going to be a good husband, man. Don't stress about the details."

"I know, I just… honestly I just started thinking about this stuff today."

"As is normal when you have a few weeks left of being single. You nervous?"

Erick laughed, his stomach twisting in knots at the thought. "A bit. I don't know why. It's Annie."

"You two have been attached at the hip since you were toddlers," Gustav rolled his eyes. "We've basically been honorary Haddocks ever since, which gives us an advantage over the rest of the tribe!"

"Right, because it's advantageous for you, my oldest brother, for me to marry the Chief's daughter. That makes sense."

"No, it's because I've been in on all the secret adventures! Fighting dragon hunters and going rogue with Dagur for a bit-"

"What?" Erick exclaimed.

"Oh, and not to mention the Edge. Ahh the Edge, now those were some good times-"

"Wait a second, you mean to tell me that  _you've_  been to the Edge?" Erick demanded.

"Yes! I was on Astrid's Team back then, one of the lead riders!" Gustav grinned. "I was just a lil guy back then. Learning the ropes from Hiccup and Snotlout and the gang." He frowned suddenly. "Come to think of it, I don't think they enjoyed having me around very much."

"Well I couldn't tell why. Perhaps because you're accident prone and a touch annoying?" Erick asked.

"Oh like you're such a pleasure to be around, squirt."

"People love me!"

The door groaned as it opened and someone entered. Erick's laughter came to a halt when his other brother Nikolas stepped inside. He looked away as Gustav slipped off the table.

"What's up, Nick?"

"Mel wanted me to bring this over for the kids. She picked them up at the market today. Also we're going to need your help at mother's tomorrow afternoon. She has some things she needs moved around. Both of you."

Erick met his eyes with a barely restrained glare. "I have plans tomorrow."

"You don't get to decide," Nikolas hissed.

"With the  _Chief_ and it concerns my  _wedding_." Erick snapped back. "If you've got a problem with that, take it up with him."

"Guys-" Gustav warned.

Nikolas sniffed derisively and marched back to the door. He left without another word, slamming the door closed so hard that it bounced back open. Gustav closed it again and glared at Erick. "You both need to get over it."

"I've got nothing to say to him." Erick remarked flatly.

"Erick, I'm not going to tell you what to do," Gustav said. "But dad and Aud are gone, and mom's all we have. Mags and I think that you two need to figure it out, whether with fists or words, we don't care. But you need to get past this."

"He told a large portion of the village that I got Adrianna pregnant," Erick bit out, his temper rising at the thought. "That she ran away out of shame because she couldn't face the fact that I'd taken advantage of her and she didn't know how to deal with it. I have  _nothing_  to say to him."

Gustav sighed. "I know, Erick. I get it."

"Then just do us a favor and stay out of it." Erick muttered. He gently slid down to the ground and winced when his prosthetic touched the floor. The bruise had grown in the ten minutes he'd been sitting.

"Do you want to stay here tonight?" Gustav asked. "We have the spare bedroom."

"No that's okay," Erick sighed. "Home's not that far."

"Alright," Gustav said, pulling the door open once again. "If you have more questions or whatever, let me know. I'm here for you, man."

"Yeah, thanks, Gustav. I don't feel quite so stupid now." Erick chortled.

"You're not stupid, Erick, you're eighteen. You'll both figure things out as you go, don't worry."

"Alright. I'll catch you later."

"See you, Erick."

Erick made the trek home, shivering and watching his breath cloud before him as he walked. His leg hurt like crazy and he was sure his limp was more pronounced than usual. He'd have to put some salve on it and make sure he slept on his left side tonight.

When he entered the humble abode, he found Cliff hefting two bags onto the table.

"Ah you're back! Perfect timing. I packed you snacks and extra clothes in case you end up falling into the ocean or something. You never know when you'll need an extra pair of underwear."

Erick sighed, hanging up his coat. "Cliff-"

"Bro, I'm kidding, a man never raids another man's undie drawer, that's weird."

" _You're_  weird." Erick winced when he removed his boot, putting all his weight on his stump.

Of course, Cliff noticed and paused his fiddling. "You alright?"

Erick settled into the nearest chair. "Yeah, just slipped on some ice earlier. The cold isn't helping."

"Do you want some hot cloths? I can boil some water and get the lavender from Aunt Mara." Cliff bustled into the kitchen.

Erick merely hummed his response. He knew whether he said yes or no, Cliff would get him the items. He decided to endure the mothering for a few minutes before he retired to bed. He wasn't sure what time the group was actually planning to leave in the morning, but knowing Finn he would be knocking on their door at the crack of dawn. As long as he could make it through the trip without much pain, he'd survive.

"Bro, you look exhausted," Cliff commented when he emerged from the kitchen. "You should go to bed."

"I will in a minute," Erick said, taking the wraps and vial of lavender and tea tree oil. "Thanks." He sighed, preparing himself for the final trek to his bedroom.

"You want me to-"

Erick stood, gritting his teeth against the pain. It was a simple bruise, nothing more. He didn't need help walking down a short hallway. Still, he patted Cliff on the shoulder as he limped past and soon closed the door behind him.

* * *

Finn knocked on the door for the third time, huffing in impatience. His mom was preparing the dragons while his dad tied up some loose ends for the council. A small portion of them would be joining them, leaving Horst and Fishlegs in charge. Ruffnut had nearly jumped at the chance to get away. Fishlegs had nearly begged Hiccup to take copious documentation on his apparent beloved rock garden. Finn had scoffed at the exchange, unsure if the man was actually serious.

He lifted his fist to knock again when the door swung open. He barely stopped himself from knocking Cliff in the face.

"Whattimeisit?" Cliff muttered, rubbing his eyes. His ruddy brown curls were sticking up in all directions.

"Time to go, bruh," Finn smiled in what he hoped was an adventurous grin. He thought Cliff would have been up at the crack of dawn same as him. "Are you guys ready?"

"Uh…" Cliff said blearily. "No."

Indignation flared in his chest. "Come on, you guys aren't excited?"

Cliff sighed. "Well… he was up half the night in pain, so…"

Finn blinked. "His leg?"

"Slipped on some ice last night."

"Oh." He chewed his lip in thought. "Is he coming?"

Leaning against the door frame, Cliff sighed again. "I don't know. He's pretending like it's not a big deal, but you know how he gets."

Finn looked down the street, feeling that old guilt rise up. Every time Erick's leg injury flared up, he couldn't help but feel responsible. If he'd just stayed in that stupid cell like he was supposed to…

"Finn, stop beating yourself up. We can't change it."

"It's my fault he has to deal with this," Finn murmured. "His sensitivity is so high, it never healed as well as my dad's leg did. How long can we expect him to have mobility?"

Cliff huffed. "Stop overthinking it. It's not your burden to bear and he doesn't like people worrying about it. He'll deal with it just like he has been. Besides it's only the cold weather that's making it worse."

With an annoyed huff, Finn stepped off the front step. "Well, go find out if he's coming or not. We won't hold it against him if he can't."

"Right." The door closed without further adieu.

Finn turned away, feeling agitated. He walked down the street to Ben the Baker's to pick up a few pastries before returning to the Hatchery. That's where his parents had decided to meet with the rest of the group before taking off. Adrianna was there as well, bundled up in warm clothes. Normally she'd never be seen before nine in the morning but she'd insisted on being woken before everyone left. Now he wasn't sure if she'd even needed to get up so early; not if Erick stayed home.

Frustrated with his younger self and all the stupid choices he'd made, Finn turned sharply at the next corner and nearly plowed into someone. He and the girl skidded to a halt, and it took him a moment to realize it was Inga.

Her face brightened. "Do you always march around like you own the place, or do you only look where you're going half the time?" Inga asked.

"Ah… sorry, I was a bit distracted."

"A bit? I'd say you have your mind on more than just sweet rolls." She said, glancing at the paper bag in his hand.

"Yeah…" Finn tapered off. Glancing over her head toward the Hatchery doors just a few yards away, he sidestepped. "Sorry, I have to be somewhere."

"Meeting with everyone who's going to this mystery place?" Inga asked cheerily, following him down the street. "My dad's going too. Insisted on going under threat of mutiny, I heard. Said something about his big red 'S'. Whatever that means."

"So you're seeing him off?" Finn asked tersely. He kept his eyes forward as he walked, even though she didn't break stride with him.

"Well yes, him too, I guess."

Finn ground to a halt and exhaled through his nose, trying to put a leash on his temper. He'd been avoiding this conversation for so long and it was starting to get ridiculous. As he'd been warned, it was only getting worse. He should have addressed this a long time ago.

Inga seemed to sense his inner struggle, though she remained tactless as usual. "Too much?"

Praying to the gods for patience and kindness, Finn turned to her. "Inga, do you like me?"

Her blue eyes widened and darted to the side. "What? I-"

"Inga. One of the reasons I value you as a friend is that you're the most nonsensical girl I know. So just tell me honestly: Do you like me?"

She swallowed and nervously met his eyes. "Yes. I've liked you for a long time."

Finn chewed the inside of his cheek. He realized he was gripping his arms so tightly against this chest that his fingertips were turning white and the paper bag was crinkling in offense. He forced himself to relax, took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay."

"Okay what?" Inga asked. "Is that a good okay or a bad okay?"

His heart twisted guiltily. As gently as he could manage, he replied, "I can't change your feelings. But I also can't reciprocate them."

The hope in her face fell almost instantly, as did his heart. He suddenly felt like the most horrible person in the world…

He looked down at his boots. "I don't want to hurt you but… the way you flirt with me and try so hard to do everything with me… it makes me a little uncomfortable. I really enjoy being your friend." Gods, what was he even saying? Tears were brewing in her eyes now and her face was turning a splotchy red. "I'm sorry, Inga. But I don't like you that way."

Though her tears didn't fall, he could tell she was struggling. He knew avoiding this conversation for so long would only make it harder on her. He should have nipped it in the bud months ago, but instead he'd had to sit on the fence and think on it. Thinking had only fueled her hope that she'd have a chance. That maybe he'd actually given her real consideration. She was intuitive and smart; she had to know that he  _had_  thought about it. But he couldn't get over the fact that he was an adult and she wasn't. It didn't feel right.

Maybe someday she would have that chance; he didn't know the future. But right now, he just wished he was more eloquent than he was. That he could say something to take that heartbroken look off her face.

Without another word, Inga covered her face and strode past him. Finn's heart twisted in his chest. He wanted to turn around and call her back, apologize for making her cry. He truly felt sorry. However, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a small amount of relief. It was done. Maybe they could both move on, rebuild their friendship after she had some time. Maybe if he was still single in a few years…

With a long sigh, Finn continued the walk to the Hatchery. Hopefully the Edge would be much less complicated than his relationship problems.

* * *

Hiccup surveyed their group as he shoved a few extra pieces of parchment into his saddlebag. Toothless wiggled impatiently, roaring up at Stormfly and Zap. The bag was already stuffed to the top, so why he expected anything else to fit was a bit silly. Still he shoved it inside next to the notebooks and blueprints. He winced when he heard the crisp tearing of paper.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut were already sitting on Barf and Belch near the gates. Clearly they hadn't taken a flight together for quite some time and were itching to get back in the skies. Snotlout was chatting with Astrid, whining about the early hour. Finn stood leaning against a large oak desk, glaring at the stone floor. When he'd entered the passage a few minutes ago, his face had been red as if in embarrassment. He'd have to ask his son why when there were less ears.

Adrianna hummed impatiently in her seat nearby. "Are they coming or what?"

"They'll be a bit late." Finn responded in a distracted tone.

Hiccup frowned. Something was definitely bothering him. Instead of voicing his thoughts, he asked, "Running behind?"

"They were up late," was the only reply.

Hiccup met Adrianna's eyes; they both seemed to read through Finn's vague responses. Something was up.

Their answer limped in a few minutes later. Erick's face was pale but he held his head high as he entered the room. Cliff entered a few steps behind him, his brow creased. He seemed to be watching Erick closely. The young man in question walked to Adrianna and bent to kiss her forehead, but Hiccup's eyes were on his leg. He hadn't limped that badly in quite some time…

Erick straightened and glared in Hiccup's direction, daring him to say a word.

Hiccup turned instead to the group. "We're all here. Saddle up."

Toothless warbled happily when he mounted and gestured toward the guards to open the gates. As the wheels turned, Hiccup noticed the hushed argument coming from the young couple. He knew he should ignore it, but he couldn't help listing his head to the side just a little.

"-shouldn't be going."

"I'm fine, it's just a bruise."

"A fall like that isn't-"

"It's not a big deal!" Erick growled, loud enough for most of the group to hear. Finn stiffened in his saddle.

Snotlout muttered from his place on Hookfang, "You going to let him talk to your daughter like that?"

"They'll work it out." Hiccup muttered back.

"If a boy talked to my girl like that, I'd-"

"Shut up, Snotlout." Hiccup wasn't trying to be rude, but he  _was_  trying to listen

"-I shouldn't take it out on you."

"Babe, if you're in that much pain then-"

"Annie, this is my life. I can't sit around and do nothing everytime it hurts. It hurts all the time. I have to just deal with it." A tired sigh. "Honestly, I packed tonics. I'll be fine."

A brief moment of hesitation. "Okay. Be careful."

Snotlout was drumming his fingers on Hookfang's horns. "If we have to wait for them to snog for ten minutes-"

"Shut  _up_ , Snotlout." Astrid reprimanded.

Hiccup watched Erick mount Charger from the corner of his eye. His movements were a little stiff, but he still didn't comment. He met the boy's eyes a moment later in silent question. Erick nodded wordlessly.

"Alright people, let's go." Together as a group, they flew out of the Hatchery toward the sea.

* * *

By the time they left Berk, Finn had long forgotten about Inga. Coupled with the cold air and the sea spray hitting his face, he found himself relaxing and forgetting all his woes as every flight seemed to do. The usual tension in his parents evaporated within minutes of leaving Berk and they were soon bantering and flying around each other like a couple of kids. Some of Erick's color had returned with the cold air. His easygoing smile was back as he chatted with Cliff, who was leaning so far in his saddle Finn thought he might fall. Thankfully Bill, also known as Edna Louise Sacramento the Third, seemed to have a good handle on her rider's clumsy tendencies.

It didn't take nearly as long to fly to the island as he'd expected. When they saw the speck of land on the horizon and the dragons began to pump their wings in renewed excitement, Finn urged Zap forward. The Shockjaw obliged. She seemed just as excited to see this new island as he was.

When they arrived, he couldn't hide his surprise. If he'd been paying attention, he'd have seen the same expressions on Erick and Cliff's faces.

Built above the harbor into the craggy outcropping and into the forestry was a fort. Multiple buildings in various styles and faded colors stood out in various spots. The foliage seemed to press closely to the buildings, attesting to the fact that the area had been uninhabited for quite some time. But Finn could clearly see the layout for a well-designed base.

"Home sweet home," Hiccup said, grinning. Toothless roared his excitement and dove without warning, nearly yanking the Chief out of the saddle. If Hiccup hadn't been riding for most of his life, he might have fallen.

The rest of the group followed at a quick pace. Toothless and the other dragons hovered over the wooden boards, the dragons sniffing.

"What are they doing?" Cliff asked.

"Making sure the wood isn't rotted," Hiccup stated.

"Oh, good! Wouldn't do to lose a leg!" Cliff laughed, then slapped a hand over his mouth. Finn didn't have to look to know Erick was restraining a glare.

Toothless and Stormfly touched down, seemingly deeming it safe. The others joined them and dismounted. Finn turned in a circle, surveying the large brown building they'd stopped in front of and the blue one nearby. Stormfly was already tromping toward the blue one. Astrid punched her husband on the arm before running after her dragon. Snotlout and Hookfang sauntered off, the former talking about his "humble abode fit for kings".

"So question," Erick asked, gingerly dismounting. "Were all the tail flaps necessary on the roof or were you trying to make that fly too?"

"Ha ha," Hiccup asked, ignoring Ruffnut and Tuffnut's loud "oooooooooooooh!" in the background. He looked up at the roof and winced. Only a few of them were intact. "I guess I was a little overzealous with the design. But what can I say, I was seventeen."

"Well it could be worse," Erick said, walking toward the doorway and casting Finn a dimpled smirk. "You could always have the personality of a doorknob."

"OOOOHHHHH!" Ruffnut and Tuffnut roared, falling out of their saddles in laughter. Finn glared back but couldn't fight the amused grin fighting its way onto his face. He knew what Erick was doing-he was making up for this morning's frustration with jokes. Regrettably at Finn's expense. Well, two could play at that game.

"Careful, blondie," Finn said, helping to push the door open. "Insults do not a friendship make. Besides, I'd rather not kick your butt."

"We'll save it for later then."

When they finally managed to get the rusted door open they stepped into the dark, dusty room. Toothless instantly began sniffing around while Hiccup turned in a circle, clearly reminiscing. Finn and Erick and Cliff walked around the room, looking through all the tools and trinkets and old yellowed papers strewn about the room.

"Just as messy as your desk now." Finn murmured.

"Old habits die hard."

Cliff lifted up a large ceramic jar and peered inside. "Is it weird to you that you were our age when you built this place," He pulled out the cork with a loud  _thoonk_. "And here you are showing us this place after all this time?"

"A bit, yeah." Hiccup said, eyes narrowing at the jar. "What's-"

"Hey, what's this green stuff?"

Hiccup suddenly lurched forward. "Don't touch it!"

Cliff flung his hand toward the ceiling, grey eyes wide. "What is it?"

Taking the jar, Hiccup looked inside and withheld a sigh. "Changewing poison."

"Why the heck do you have a jar of Changewing poison?" Cliff demanded. "Don't you realize somebody could've touched that?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

Cliff grinned. "Sorry."

"Yes," Hiccup said, swirling the poison around. "I do believe Ruff and Tuff volunteered to see how much poison the other could endure."

"Wow," Finn winced. "How come they aren't scarred?"

"Or, ya know, are they just in hard to reach places, if you know what I mean?"

"Oh Cliff." Erick sighed.

"Cuz anyone would just volunteer to have their buns singed off." Finn chuckled.

"They would!" Cliff laughed.

"To answer the question," Hiccup plucked the cork out of the teen's hand and put it back in the jar. "Because I wouldn't allow it. Don't get any ideas, Cliff."

"Hey, I'm curious, but I'm not stupid." Cliff held up his hands. "Green and sticky? No touchie."

A roar of rage and despair echoed across the island. Cliff perked and poked his head outside.

Hiccup sighed. "Some things never change. Let's go see which part of Snotlout's king-house was raided."

A short walk later and they found Snotlout shaking Tuffnut by the collar. "WHERE IS IT? WHERE?"

"I-I-I-IIIIII DON'T KN-N-NOOO-OOO-OOOWWWWW!" Tuffnut wailed, though by his wild grin he seemed to be enjoying it.

Hiccup slapped Snotlout's hands away. Tuffnut dropped like a stone. "Cut it out, Snotlout, this place has been empty for almost twenty years. What makes you think Tuffnut came all the way out here to steal… whatever it is you think he stole?"

"It was only a matter of time." Snotlout hissed. "I'd always see him snickering and plotting, just watching and waiting for the day I'd turn my back! Now it's gone and it had to be him!"

"What's gone?" Hiccup sighed.

"Oh, of course, oh wise Chiefly one, you're sharp but not that sharp," Snotlout growled. "Or else you would've noticed already!"

Hiccup and the boys turned their gaze up toward the large red hut. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, at least to Finn. Except he saw the slight change in his dad's posture. The shift that said, "Are you kidding me?"

"Is something supposed to be in the middle?" Erick asked.

"Thank you!" Snotlout shouted, scaring a few birds out of the nearby trees. "See, the blondie gets it! You'll need him around when you go into your retirement. He can tell you where the roads are and where the sky is-"

"Why-" Erick glanced at Finn, unsure. "Why would I tell him any of those things?"

"Because they're plainly obvious and you'd have to spell it out for his Chiefliness," Snotlout said in a fake sweet voice. "Because  _obviously_  you're the only one who's noticed that my wonderfully glorious 'S' is missing from the doorway!"

Finn looked up at the building again. "There's supposed to be an 'S' in the doorway?"

"Ohhhh, Berk is hopeless." Snotlout muttered. "Yes, your princeliness, there's supposed to be a giant 'S' in the doorway that's almost as tall as you!"

Finn snickered. "Oh I seriously doubt that. Or does it just seem like that in your very old age that the thing you remember so fondly is as tall as your life-long competitor's son, who's actually a lot taller than you?"

Hiccup coughed. Erick was clearly trying not to smile, but Cliff was snorting and chuckling into his hands. Snotlout's face slowly turned puce as he stood there glaring. "How'd  _you_  like to hang from the doorway,  _Fearless_  Finn?"

"Don't lay a finger on my precious son, Snotlout, or I'll break your arm." Astrid sauntered in from around the corner.

Cliff snorted louder as Snotlout gasped. "Whaaaat, did you hear what he just said to me? Ohhh you Haddocks are a bunch of-"

"Ya know, Snotlout, maybe you should spend less time attacking people and find your 'S'. It's got to be around here somewhere." Hiccup said, gesturing to the surrounding woods.

After a moment of indecision, Snotlout stomped to the stairs, muttering under his breath along the way. Hookfang chortled as he followed.

When his tail disappeared, Hiccup cast a longsuffering look at his wife. "Honestly, it's like we never left."

"You're telling me. There's tons of stuff in my hut I never came back for. Guess I just got… forgot."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Come on, you got distracted by me and Anna. It's okay to say."

"Well it was more than that." Astrid shrugged. "We grew up. We moved on."

Erick shoved his hands deep into his coat pockets. The wind seemed to be coming in harder from the ocean. "So where would we have the actual ceremony and party?"

"This way!" Astrid turned and led the way.

For the next hour the boys got a tour of the Edge with Hiccup and Astrid. They discussed wedding plan ideas while Erick took notes for Adrianna, and the boys listened to the couple's banter and stories with equally rapt attention. When it was well past noon and Finn realized he was starving, he whistled for Zap at the edge of the platform outside the clubhouse.

As the group ate, they continued discussing options for the fast approaching wedding. Finn noted that should they decide to do it here, they needed to get started on clearing some of the trees and brush. Hiccup agreed and promised to rally a team of people to start work effective immediately. Even if Adrianna didn't want to do the wedding here, there's no reason they couldn't clean it up a bit and put the fort to use once more.

"Do you think she'll like it?" Erick asked. "It's not like she can come here until the actual day."

Hiccup looked around the clubhouse. "I think she will, once we get it cleaned up and decorated. It's a new location she's never been before. She doesn't have any bad memories that took place here and the guests will be limited. She won't have to worry about party-crashers. It's beautiful, and surprisingly held together very well. We can set up which hut can be for the men and the ladies to get ready, and have the ceremony in here. Ben and the cooks can bring out the food after that." He shrugged, looking to Astrid. "It feels good to me. What do you think, mom?"

"I agree. We can decorate it to look exactly how she'd want it." Astrid waved a hand to the pillars looming overhead. "She'll be surprised and like you said, I think she'll enjoy and appreciate a nice day or two away from Berk. She certainly deserves it."

Erick looked around once more before nodding. "Okay. I like it too."

"Hooray!" Cliff cheered. "So now we go home and tell Anna-bear the whole story!"

"Yes, let's do that." Hiccup said, standing and preparing to douse the fires.

In that moment, Snotlout shuffled in. Leaves and twigs were sticking from his shirt and hair, his face set in a sullen scowl.

"No luck?" Astrid asked cheerily.

"Awww wittle Snotty Potty wost his S, awwwwww!" Ruffnut sniffed, blue eyes wide and lips pooching.

In order to keep his laughter to himself, Finn stepped outside. He double-checked his saddlebags with Zap and grabbed his water skin to refill. As he made his way to the nearest, thankfully still good well, he observed the geography of the island. How his parents and their friends had managed to construct buildings on top of rock formations, and how they were still standing after all this time… He doubted he could do that. He could build it if he had plans and help, but he knew he didn't have quite the brains to make that kind of blueprint.

As he filled his water skin, he found that he liked the Edge and hoped his sister agreed to their thoughts and plans. A wedding away from Berk would be fun. His sister deserved to have no problems on the best day of her life, and he was determined to give it to her. Nobody would mar her wedding day and from here on out, he resolved that her life would only get better.


End file.
